While most of these competitions offer opportunities for creative writing, there are other organisations that invite students to submit discursive or persuasive compositions, poetry, art, photography and non-fiction. There are also some competitions (including film) which encourage group collaboration.
Recently some Year 7 & Year 8 students entered the following non-fiction competition, The ‘James Martin’ in My World: A Treasury of True Stories of Struggle and Triumph written by Parramatta Youth.
This writing competition is inspired by the life of James Martin, a poor Parramatta boy who rose to become Premier of NSW. It celebrates the creativity and storytelling talents of young people who attend school in the Parramatta Local Government Area
Students from Years 7 & 8 were encouraged to choose someone in their world - someone who started with no advantages and made a success of their life. It could be a parent, a neighbour, someone in their community - anyone from the local Parramatta community who has faced adversity and triumphed. Success might mean holding a family together, serving the community, simply showing courage and resilience or building a business. In 500 words or fewer, students were encouraged to bring these real-life stories to light.
The adjudication process is now over, and thirty selected stories have been published in a beautifully produced book, which will launch at a special event on Thursday, 14 August at Parramatta Square.
The following OLMC students participated in this competition, and you can read their wonderful compositions in the links below:
- Sophia Gosden, Year 7 | My Great Grandmother’s Sacrifice
- Evelyn Elisa Joshy, Year 7 | Sacrifices Have to Be Made
- Kate El Asmar Year, Year 7 | My Mum, My Hero
- Sraddha Shailesh, Year 7 | My Ammama
- Helena Fitzgerald, Year 8 | My Dad
- Chloe Vella, Year 8 | The Lady Next Door