Student writers rise in this year’s Young Writers’ Competition
The winners of this year's Young Writers Competition were announced on Wednesday August 10th at the Community Room, above Warringah Mall Library.
Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan gave out awards to aspiring writers, encouraging a new generation to spill ink in the name of humanity with 12 young writers being highly commended from grade K2 to Year 12.
Now in its thirteenth year, the challenge this year was to write a short story based on the theme ‘rise’… and rise to the occasion they did!
Mayor Michael Regan said he was amazed at the depth of talent and passion of young writers on the Northern Beaches.
“2022 saw hundreds of stories written by talented students on the Northern Beaches from kindergarten to grade 12. It was terrific to see such a diverse range of uplifting, creative interpretations of the ‘rise’ theme. Our young writers found inspiration in nature, new life, climate change, the beauty and darkness of humanity, the importance of facing your fears and rising to challenges.
"I would like to acknowledge and thank the judges who had the very difficult job of selecting 24 finalists as well as the many teachers, school librarians and parents who inspire a love of literacy in our young people," Mayor Regan said.
The Young Writers' Competition is an annual competition open to students up to and including year 12 who live or go to school on the Northern Beaches and are members of the Northern Beaches Council Library Service. Entries are judged according to characterisation, originality, plot and use of language. Stories are arranged into six different age group categories with highly commended, runner up and winner.
This year's Northern Beaches Young Writers’ Competition has produced hundreds of rising aspiring writers.
Northern Beaches Council congratulates all the winners and finalists, who were announced yesterday evening. All 24 winning stories are available as an eBook from the Libraries’ website. Northern Beaches Council congratulates all the winners and finalists.
All 24 winning stories are available as an eBook from the Libraries’ website.
Council asked the young wordsmiths a few questions, which were:
Favourite part of the Young Writers’ Competition 2022 experience?
“Just writing it! That’s the fun bit” – Neve Morris, Winner, Category 1: Kindergarten – Grade 2.
Advice for students entering next year
“If you write a story, make it come from your heart and be confident in yourself” – Ashley, Runner Up, Category 1: Kindergarten – Grade 2.
What makes a good story?
“Something that is engaging and has something important to say. Anything can be a good story, it depends on how you tell it.” – Lillian, winner Category 5: Grades 9 – 10.
Favourite book?
“My favourite fiction book ever was one I read back when I was 8. ‘Finding Serendipity’ is about a girl and when she wrote she went to a different land and watched her story play out. It was the thing that kept me writing. I wanted to be like that.” – Lillian, winner Category 5: Grades 9 – 10.
Advice for students entering next year
“Write about something you’re interested in. If you’re interested in it, it is going to be a better story than if it’s something you’re choosing to fit the theme. Make the theme fit it”. – Lillian, winner Category 5: Grades 9 – 10.
What makes a good story?
“Adding a personal element. Adds an extra connection to the story and the reader can definitely feel that” - Rommi, Runner up, Category 6: Grades 11 – 12.
“I like when the book hooks me straight away and every time I finish a chapter, I want to keep reading and finding out what happens” - Ruby, winner Category 6: Grades 11 – 12.
How do you get in the writing zone?
“I like to visual the characters and name them and imagine what they are like” - Rommi, Runner Up, Category 6: Grades 11 – 12.
Category 1, Kindergarten to Year 2
Winner: New Life Rising by Neve Morris, Balgowlah North Public School in Year 2
Runner Up: Bird Girl by Ashley Smith, Our Lady of Good Counsel Forestville in Year 2
Highly Commended: A Mixed Up World by Darcy Richmond, Manly Vale Public School in Year 2
Highly Commended: Halloween Night by Grace Smith, Our Lady of Good Counsel Forestville in Year 2
Category 2, Year 3 and 4
Winner: Rise by Frankie Boulter, Newport Public School in Year 4
Runner Up: Rise by Rebecca Liu, John Colet School in Year 4
Highly Commended: Rise, Frannie, Rise! by Eva Vasilangos, Brookvale Public School in Year 4
Highly Commended: Loveable by Matisse Hayes Black, Curl Curl North Public School in Year 4
Category 3, Year 5 and 6
Winner: The Limping Lady by Anouk Hayes Black, Curl Curl North Public School in Year 6
Runner Up: Into the Grave by Dylan Yoon, Dee Why Public School in Year 5
Highly Commended: Vision of Fear by Georgia Snape, St John the Baptist, Freshwater in Year 6
Highly Commended: Rising Together by Jennifer Delohery, St Luke's Grammar School in Year 5
Category 4, Year 7 and 8
Winner: She is Risen by Lauren Kuiper, Oxford Falls Grammar in Year 7
Runner Up: Rising Dough by Alice Surace, St Luke's Grammar School in Year 7
Highly Commended: Birds of A Feather by Carla Anderson, NBSC Manly Campus in Year 8
Highly Commended: Finding My Purpose by Emily Euers, St Luke's Grammar School in Year 7
Category 5, Year 9 and 10
Winner: The Bread by Lillian Hamilton, NBSC Manly Campus in Year 9
Runner Up: Resilience the Lesson by Jeremy Lee, Oxford Falls Grammar in Year 10
Highly Commended: The Last Dance by Sappho Appel, Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School in Year 9
Highly Commended: The Daily Life of a Carbon Atom by Tara Banks, Oxford Falls Grammar in Year 10
Category 6, Year 11 and 12
Winner: Notes of Summer by Ruby Mascarenhas, NBSC Mackellar Girls Campus in Year 11
Runner Up: Last Man Standing by Rommi Cleaves, Oxford Falls Grammar in Year 11
Highly Commended: Million Tribes of Man by Jared Kimpton, Barrenjoey High School in Year 11
Highly Commended: Her Home by Maeve Cox, Queenwood School for Girls in Year 12
