Carey alumni and newly published writers Georgina Bing (2010) and Cleo McCabe (2020) were welcomed to this year’s Carey Celebrates Literature Festival which ran from May 16 to 19 across the whole school. Georgina and Cleo generously shared their passion for writing and provided practical tips for budding writers. Georgina has published under the pseudonym Lillian Lumley and her book is titled The Ones In Between. Cleo’s book is Rhodanthian, and is inspired by her favourite series, Harry Potter and popular trilogy The Hunger Games. Our MS/SS Writing Club loved meeting these new writers from our school community.
This year we had 33 writers and other creators of story visit Carey across the three school sections. The prolific and very humorous Barry Jonsberg shared his love of writing and stories with all three sections. Nova Weetman, a Carey favourite, and regular at our festival, visited both Junior School Kew and Middle School, igniting passions with her energy and enthusiasm. Middle School welcomed new writers to Carey in Nina Kenwood and Alice Boyle as well as verse novelist Karen Comer, who intrigued students when she shared her ideas scrapbook. Jane Godwin and Phillip Gwynne, popular writers amongst Carey readers, joined us again after previous visits.
Middle School students experienced a writing workshop with a writer and then focussed on creating story in a different way to prose on Friday with each level spending two periods in an amazing workshop during the day. Dungeons and Dragons, Art and Story, Theatre and Story, Comedy and Story, Song and Story, Zines, Film and Story and Podcasting were the among the electives on offer. Carey students proved once again how creative they could be!
Junior School Donvale welcomed Craig Smith, Chris Kennett and Trent Roberts and most students got to see two writers. Special lunchtime activities occupied many of the Donvale students.
Kylie Dunstan, Adrian Beck, Boori Monty Prior, Sue De Gennaro, Nicky Greenberg and Chris Kennett made up the rich Junior School Kew program on Friday 19 May. Talks and writing workshops from these amazing authors gave students the opportunity to enjoy stories on another level.
Afternoon events are a regular and popular feature of the Junior Schools’ programs, and this year, Junior School Donvale was delighted with the art and stories of Marc McBride. At Junior School Kew there was a last-minute change of plan when Heidi McKinnon was unwell but thankfully Anna Zobel came at short notice and kept the enthusiastic audience entertained.
Paul Kennedy was the guest speaker at Senior School Assembly. Paul is a writer, journalist and broadcaster with the ABC. He spoke passionately about the role books have played in his life and the impact a thoughtful and caring English teacher had on him at a time when he was self-destructing as a teenager. He shared the road to his writing career and emphasised the power of writing and investigative journalism, referencing his writing with Chrissie Foster and the exposure of clergy child sex abuse. You could have heard a pin drop during this unforgettable talk. We look forward to seeing him write a fiction book after the success of his memoir, Funkytown.
It was such a privilege to have so many wonderfully creative people visit Carey during the Literature Festival Week. Please ask your child about their experience of the festival and keep encouraging your child to engage with story, every day.
Many thanks to all the library staff and teachers that worked hard to create a unique and rewarding experience of literature to all the students of the school.
Check out @carey.library on Instagram to see me photos and videos from the festival!
Marg Moran
Head of Carey Libraries
Feature image: Karen Comer
