There's a lot to feel Happy About - Story Factory

 

There's a lot to feel happy about. As we compiled the list of news for this newsletter, we were struck with how much there is to feel glad about. Celebrating amazing people and the wonderful things they create is an incredible privilege and one we’re very conscious of. We feel that all the more seeing the terrible situation with COVID-19 in India right now. Many of our students have family members affected and our thoughts are with them and their families. It’s also the month of Ramadan and we want to wish our students and staff who are observing their holy month - Ramadan Mubarak! There’s also been celebration of a different kind at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, a festival of ideas, words and engagement. The wonderful diversity of voices and perspectives was a gift and a challenging but joyful reminder of the power of the written word. We hope this month you encounter writing that makes you think, as our students' writing does for us every day. Onwards,  Story Factory Cash (front) and his buddy proudly displaying their writing. Image by Jim A. Barker. CASH’S STORY   Redfern Jarjum College is one of our neighbours in Redfern,  and our Storyteller and resident Speech Pathologist Tommie has done a fabulous job in building the confidence of the kids in her workshops, reunited once again with our volunteers in the classroom. In the small group of 8-10 year olds in the class, one student, Cash, stands out because of his boundless enthusiasm. Cash is always eager to share his work, and to verbalise his ideas, but his challenge is getting those ideas onto the page and actually writing. READ MORE Cash and our storyteller Tommie presenting his writing to the class at the end of term. Image by Jim A. Barker. STUDENT WRITING - MY ICE-CREAM STORE, BY CASH   I am Cash, I run Cash’s ICE CREAM STORE there are flavours in my freezer you have never seen before! eight amazing creations too delicious to resist why not do yourself a favour, try the flavours on my list: rat poop cockroach licking hairy legs man poop bug poop rat and bat poop rat vomit poop and pee. - From our 'Food, Glorious Food' creative writing program READ MORE STUDENT WRITING MEET MEL We are excited to announce that Melissa Jimenez, our new Volunteer Manager (Communication and Coordination) started with us recently, and many of our volunteers have already had a chance to meet her. Mel comes from a background in disability support and running volunteer programs for university students. She’s passionate about social justice, mental health and working with young people, and we’re thrilled to have her join the team. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING VIV WINS AGAIN Vivian Pham continues her run of award recognition. She has been awarded Best Young Australian Novelist by The Sydney Morning Herald and the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year at the ABIA awards - an extraordinary achievement, and so well deserved. Viv is a graduate of our Year of the Novella program and wrote the first draft of The Coconut Children as part of that program. We can’t wait to see what she does next! BUY THE BOOK STELLA KEYNOTE In a keynote speech at the Stella Prize announcement recently, writer, academic and our board member, Amy Thunig, reflected on the importance of storytelling.  We love everything she said, but this particularly stood out to us. "Storytelling is a significant way of growing a community, of building up accomplices and solidarity, and whilst it is through information we might come to know, it is through storying we might come to understand." READ MORE BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE Our very own Storyteller-In-Chief Richard Short has published his second collection of poetry Our Tongues Are Songs. You can order a copy of this haunting and hopeful collection here. Weave Youth has created and facilitated a Youtube Podcast series for Youth Week 2021, called 'What Is Your Utopia?' It’s a series of conversations with young people from across the city, sharing their vision for the change they want to see in the world and in their communities, and how they can bring about that change. You can view them here. Podcasting agency Audiocraftfest is offering a free all-day workshop for culturally and linguistically diverse young people (aged 16 - 24) living, working, or studying in the City of Sydney. Spots are limited, apply here.  Hachette Australia, along with the Richell family, have launched the Richell Prize for Emerging Writers for 2021, in partnership with the Emerging Writers’ Festival. This prize was designed to help an undiscovered writer with talent and ambition to tell a story. Writers do not need to have a full manuscript at the time of submission, though they must intend to complete one. The winner will receive $10,000 in prize money from Hachette Australia, and a year’s mentoring with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. Read more and apply here.