Resources
The National Schools Writing Festival has been in hiatus since 2009. It provided the opportunity for students and teachers to take part in small-group creative writing workshops coordinated by a practising writer. Workshop participants chose in advance whether to attend a workshop in writing for the page or writing for performance and were then given set preparation exercises to complete.
'The Poetry Kit', developed for the 2011 National Schools Poetry Award, and subsequently updated for each year the Award was held, contains writing exercises, links to useful and inspiring creative writing websites and tips on writing from internationally acclaimed poets. It can be used by students who are entering the Poetry Award, or by teachers who are teaching creative writing as part of their curriculum.
You can download the Kit at the link below, along with Kits from the 2008 and 2009 events, and preparation exercises set for the 2003 to 2005 festivals.
- pdf527KBPoetry Award 2015 'The Poetry Kit
- pdf450KBFestival 2009 'The Writing Kit'
- pdf32KBFestival 2009 A selection of work by participating students
- pdf520KBFestival 2008 'The Poetry Kit'
- pdf66KBFestival 2005 Preparation Exercises
- pdf85KBFestival 2005 Performance Writing Exercises
- pdf149KBFestival 2005 Performance Exercise Example
- pdf117KBFestival 2004 Writing Exercise
- pdf114KBFestival 2003 Writing Exercise
Advice from writers
Each year we invite around 20 practising writers to speak at the festival and/or to coordinate small-group workshops. We also ask them to provide comments for the festival programme.
In 2003 we asked each guest writer to tell us how they became a writer, the best and worst things about being a writer, and what their top tip would be for aspiring writers.
In 2004 we asked which books our guest writers wished they had written, why they avoided reading some books, and what they thought beginning writers should read.
In 2005 we asked guest writers to describe a favourite writing exercise, or something they like to do to kickstart a new piece of writing, and explain why they have found it useful.
You can download their responses from the table below. If you are interested in writing for performance, you can also download two specific exercises and an example scene based on one of the exercises by writer and festival workshop leader Lynda Chanwai-Earle.
- pdf510KBFestival 2005 Writers' Advice and Favourite Exercises
- pdf150KBFestival 2004 Writers' Advice
- pdf215KBFestival 2003 Writers' Advice
Useful contacts
Creative Writing at Victoria
International Institute of Modern Letters Victoria University P O Box 600, Wellington Tel +64-4-463 6865 Fax +64-4-463 6867 Email: address Website: modernletters
New Zealand Book Council
Level 7, Navigate House 69 Boulcott Street, Wellington Tel +64-4-499 1569 Fax +64-4-499 1424 Email: address Website: bookcouncil
New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre
nzepc Website: nzepc
New Zealand Film Commission
Level 3 119 Ghuznee St PO Box 11 546, Wellington Tel +64-4-382 7680 Fax +64-4-384 9719 Email: address Website: nzfilm
New Zealand Society of Authors
PO Box 67-013 Mount Eden Auckland Tel +64-9-379 4801 Fax +64-9-379 4801 Email: address Website: authors
New Zealand Writers Guild
1-243 Ponsonby Road P O Box 47 886 Ponsonby, Auckland Tel +64-9-360 1408 Fax +64-9-360 1409 Email: address Website: nzwritersguild
Playmarket
Level 2, 16 Cambridge Terrace P O Box 9767 Te Aro Wellington Tel +64-4-382 8462 Fax +64-4-382 8461 Email: address Website: playmarket