YOUNG WRITERS RECOGNISED FOR THEIR CREATIVITY

YOUNG WRITERS RECOGNISED FOR THEIR CREATIVITY

Last night as Minister for Education and Training, I was delighted to present awards to a number of young authors at the LITLINKS Writing Competition Awards ceremony at the National Library of Australia.

LITLINKS is an annual creative writing competition open to all ACT school students in years 9 to 12 run by the ACT Association for the Teaching of English. This award honours the creativity and originality of our young people. It encourages young authors to express themselves through a wide range of writing genres.

In the events’ four year history the competition has been sponsored by the Paperchain Bookstore in Manuka. Their continued support ensures that the endeavours of young Canberra writers can be recognised and rewarded. The award winners have their works published and receive book prizes for their schools.

I support this award’s focus on nurturing the creative writing skills of students in our schools. By encouraging creativity and imagination in our students and providing them with a platform to share their stories we are giving them a stronger voice and are supporting them to achieve their full potential.

Well known author Mem Fox, famous for Possum Magic and many other books, observed once that ‘Those who write well have more power and therefore more control over their lives.’

I would like to congratulate all those students who have participated in the LITLINKS competition. This award is a reflection of the enthusiasm and imagination of these students, the support and encouragement of their parents, and the commitment and dedication of their teachers. I would also like to acknowledge the strong support provided by the ACT Association for Teaching of English and the Paperchain Bookstore in Manuka.