BACKOur English Extension students descended on Aotea Square to hear from Gilbert Enoka, Josh Silver, and Nikita Gill at the Auckland Writers’ Festival. Enoka’s presentation drew on his wealth of experience working alongside the formidable national rugby team, The All Blacks, as he discussed how to deal with anxiety and performing under pressure. Following Enoka, Josh Silver spoke of his interesting career trajectory, going from theatre actor, to mental health nurse, to now a YA dystopian author. He focused on our preoccupation with the genre of dystopia and why creative outlets are crucial in processing one’s emotions. Our Extension Curriculum leader, Ms O’Brien picked up Silver’s novel Trauma Land and offered her thoughts on the novel:
“I picked up this book after listening to Josh Silver’s incredible talk at AWF where he spoke about his journey from Mental Health Nurse to Author. His speculative fiction novel Trauma Land is a searing criticism of the NHS and the treatment of mental health in general. It has been incredibly hard to put down.”
Finally, Nikita Gill read from her free verse poetry novel, Hecate and took questions from the audience surrounding her writing process and walking in two worlds regarding her Indian and Irish ancestry. This annual tradition shows our students the potential in their writing and how they can take practical steps toward becoming successful authors one day.
