Melbourne Writers Festival
On Thrusday 7 May, some Mount Waverley Secondary College Senior students stepped beyond the classroom and into the world of writers, stories and ideas at the Melbourne Writers Festival Schools Program: https://mwf.com.au/program/secondary-schools-day-thursday
Held at State Library Victoria, the Secondary Schools Day program gave students the opportunity to hear from authors and storytellers, ask questions, explore the writing process and reflect on the power of stories. This year’s festival theme, Visions & Revisions, celebrated the creativity of writers and the way ideas are shaped, reworked and transformed into meaningful stories.
Our students represented MWSC with pride throughout the day. They demonstrated the College Values of Excellence, Learning and Respect through their positive participation, respectful listening and thoughtful questions. Their curiosity and engagement showed exactly why experiences like this matter.
Student reflections captured the richness of the day.
“The highlight of the excursion was experiencing the contrast between First Dog on the Moon’s captivating humour, Amy Doak’s grounded mysteries and Tigest Girma’s ‘dark academia’ fantasy. It was inspiring to hear them discuss how they build suspense and captivate reader attention. Hearing Tigest talk about reclaiming fantasy for diverse voices was a powerful reminder that stories are a tool for both representation and escape.
“I would definitely recommend this excursion to other students because it pulls back the curtain on the professional writing world.” ~ Olyvia F
“The rainy weather outside created a cosy ambience within the State Library, where we heard authors share their lives, inspirations and writing journeys.” ~ Dulara J
“I have been blown away by the amazing authors they have every year.” ~ Bridie O
“It was inspiring to hear how authors kept working on their stories even when they felt unsaveable.” ~ Rahini K
“I found it inspiring when Karen Comer talked about how she rewrote her novel as a verse novel before it was published.” ~ Quin A
“I found Melbourne Writers Festival to be a lovely experience and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from the celebrated Australian authors and their different journeys with literature. I will cherish this wonderful experience and would definitely go again if I had the chance.” ~ Ayushi N
The Melbourne Writers Festival reminded students that stories are not only found in books – they are shaped through questions, revision, imagination and persistence. Most importantly, it reminded us that great readers become great writers.
Less scrolling. More storytelling.
Mrs Tanya Alderton
Teacher Librarian, Senior Campus