26 Aug 2022

The write stuff - Students dive in to Writers Festival events

11:05 am on 26 August 2022

Thousands of school kids are getting a taste of literary life and what it takes to be an author at the Auckland Writers Festival this week.

Students sample books at the Auckland Writers Festival.

Students sample books at the Auckland Writers Festival. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Writers Festival

The festival's school programme is a mainstay with 2000 students a day sitting in on author talks, meeting writers and getting books signed.

Festival organisers are hoping to capture a younger market - and keep it coming back.

Director Anne O'Brien said Hōtaka Kura is the heart of the event, with 150 schools from all over the upper half of the North Island taking part.

"We think that if we can show kids what it is to come to a writers festival when they're young then that will be something that they will continue to do throughout the rest of their lives and find enjoyment with."

She says although the core audience is still white, female and older, the festival's audience is getting broader.

"We have definitely identified the schools programme as the way to reflect the changing demographic of Auckland and New Zealand and this is the place where we cultivate that audience for the future."

Primary school students from St Joseph's Ōtāhuhu enjoyed two author talks before breaking for lunch - internationally best-selling author Tui T. Sutherland appeared by livestream from the US and award-winning Kiwi creative non-fiction writer Maria Gill talked in person.

Students from 150 schools all around the North Island are taking part at the Auckland Writers Festival.

Students from 150 schools all around the North Island are taking part at the Auckland Writers Festival. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Writers Festival

Student Roy, 10, said he enjoyed meeting authors "who are the best in New Zealand."

Ahnahyah, 10, said it is inspiring.

"The authors are normal kiwiana people like us and it's really nice to see people who are famous who come from this country," she said of Gill's talk and book signing.

"I love reading, I enjoy it a lot, I do it in my free time, writing not so much but when I do it I find it kind of relaxing."

Aldric, 11, said he was enjoying learning about how books are created.

"I am creating my own books, comic books, I've made a lot but I'm not selling them."

Students from Edendale Primary School in Sandringham soaked up the inspiration.

Eva, 10, described what reading and writing means to her.

"I like that writing you don't have to wait for people to tell you what's going to happen. You can decide that yourself and for reading you can just leave the world you're in and move into another one."

Casey, 10, said she was encouraged.

"Use your voice, use your imagination you can write about anything that you want to write about."

Michael, 11, said "it's a great experience to be able to talk to the people who write your books."

Monty, 10, said "I like that we can ask questions to the authors."

Mohamed Hassan

Mohamed Hassan. Photo: Penguin Random House

Author Mohamed Hassan, a poet, journalist and non-fiction writer, is among authors talking to students this week.

"There's so many young people that have incredible voices and incredible stories to tell and we just need to give them that extra push so that they have the confidence in themselves to do it."

He described how as a school-leaver, he didn't understand how successful careers were possible in the creative arts and attending festivals would have encouraged him.

Hassan's latest book, How to be a [Bad] Muslim, is a collection of essays that maps the experience of being a Muslim in the 21st Century.

"The most honest I can be is to talk about what I've been writing about, which is often quite heavy intense stuff, and a huge part of it was figuring out my own identity."

He admits to some nerves talking to hundreds of students, but said they ask meaningful questions.

O'Brien agrees.

"They're really engaged - they ask the best questions, much better than the public adult sessions most often, and that joy that they find in meeting a writer and discovering that story is something that rewards not only us as festival directors but writers because they're finding their readers."

As for what's popular among young students, Tui T. Sutherland's fantasy series Wings of Fire gets the thumbs up.

St Joseph's Ōtāhuhu student Raimunda, 11, said "I like how inspiring and creative she is especially with dragons and mythical creatures."

It also got a special mention from Edendale Primary School students including Isaac, 10, who said "I read one book of the Wings of Fire series and it really made me want to read a few more."

The Auckland Writers Festival continues through to Sunday.

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