BACKThis term our senior English Extension students had the chance to attend three talks at the Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki. Over the course of the day we saw award winning poet Lemn Sissay, New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman, and five-time Bram Stoker award winner Lee Murray. These talks were entertaining, thought-provoking and our students relished in the opportunity to engage and ask questions of these authors.
Here are some of our students thoughts on the day:
The AWF was a really enjoyable experience. Lemn Sissay brought an element of joy and laughter and Lee Murray was inspiring. My favourite author to hear from was Neal Shushterman – he spoke on his experience with his family and his experience during school and how he has become a writer today. All the writers carried different values with them and how they conveyed those to the audience was very interesting. I enjoyed Lemn’s laughter and his poems. He created an element of joy throughout the audience. Gemma Uenuku
I had a great time learning from the writers. The story by Neal Shusterman inspired me and reminded me of my struggles and how to push through them. My favourite author was no doubt Lemn Sissay. Even though he made some ‘questionable’ jokes, his poems allowed me to think deeply about my past experiences and “love”. Additionally, his comedic way of presenting captured my attention. This was a very interesting trip for me. Jack Hong
The Auckland writers festival 2025 was a great opportunity as a year 12 ENX student to listen to some popular authors from around the world. I was lucky enough to also attend the 2024 writers festival which was a fun experience, so I knew this year’s festival would be just as good. One of my favourite authors at this event was Lemn Sissay. His 4 line poems show audiences that anyone can be creative in literature, even if it is a short poem written each morning. It was really interesting to hear from authors from New Zealand as well as the rest of the world to see the different influences that made their way into their literature. Clara Williams
It was a true privilege to have been able to be an audience member at the Auckland Writers Festival this year. Not only was I exposed to some great authors, but I was also able to see the world of writing from their perspectives. They each had a unique way of explaining the intellectual journey behind their writing, which I found very insightful. For example, I really enjoyed the author Lemn Sissay talking about his creation process and overall life. I was inspired by the way he refused to let his childhood struggles dictate the rest of his life. Furthermore, they were all able to answer the challenging questions given by the curious students with outstanding clarity and detail. Ultimately, it was an amazing experience that I am grateful to have been involved in.Thanks for the opportunity! Kenny Zhang
This was my second year attending the Writer’s Festival. I enjoy attending because it reminds me of the importance of reading and writing while also providing an excellent out-of-class experience for English. This year, my favourite speaker at the writer’s festival was Neal Shusterman. I recall him introducing himself as the storyteller from his previous summer camp experience. I was extremely intrigued by the way he spoke and carried himself on stage. I really enjoyed his advice on overcoming writer’s block; he described it as an ongoing part of the process that we can never truly avoid. He said to truly lean into the feeling of being lost. He then said it is important to refind yourself in your writing over and over again, like a journey. More specifically, I resonated with his advice to change the environment in times like this. He suggested he likes working in coffee shops, a great alternative to working at home, as the buzz of the shop and the background noises help him hyper-focus and zone in. Overall I really enjoyed his authenticity during his talk, and his energy and presence had a strong impact on me. Charlotte Ng
