Mazenod College students were privileged to meet and listen to some of Australia’s finest authors at the college’s annual Literature Festival recently. 

Six WA-based authors shared their experiences of life and writing across two days of presentations and workshops. 

David Whish-Wilson, author of The Coves, shared interesting insights into the world of wild and adventurous Australians during the gold rush in San Francisco.  

He taught students valuable skills in how to create suspenseful stories and craft crime narratives. 

Broken Lives author Estelle Blackburn shared the power stories can have to change the lives of others.  

She spoke about crimes in the 1960s in Perth and how her quest for justice lead to freeing two innocent people imprisoned for crimes they never committed. 

Jon Doust, author of Boy on a Wire, entertained students with tales from boarding school and shared how inspiration for stories can be found in everyday life.  

Author of The Valley and Bare Foot Kids, Steven Hawke shared interesting stories from the Kimberley, while creator of the Stevie Hooper crime series, Felicity Young worked with students in a crime writing workshop to help them create suspense and structure in their writing. 

And 2018 City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award winner Holden Sheppard spoke candidly and powerfully about the importance of identity and the ways stories helped him to make sense of the world.  

The Invisible Boys author ran a workshop with the Year 10 extended students on ways they can use events from their own lives as inspiration for engaging and entertaining narratives. 

Organised by the college English department, the festival was an excellent opportunity for students to see where writing can take them. 

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