Gifted youngsters get the write stuff

LEARNING THE ROPES OF WRITING: Gifted primary school students were tutored by award-winning writer Heather McQuillan this week. Pictured are Tristan Reeves, Patutahi School; Callum Kent, Sunrise Christian School; Heather McQuillan; Keeley Smiler, Riverdale School; and Jacqueline Nankivell, Te Kaupapa Maori o Whatatutu. Picture by Liam Clayton

A NUMBER of Gisborne’s young gifted writers advanced their skills under the watchful eye of an award-winning author this week.

Author and associate director of The School for Young Writers in Christchurch, Heather McQuillan, came to Gisborne to tutor 18 primary school students from around the district.

The two-day workshop organised by the Aurora Education Foundation was targeted to further educate Gisborne’s up and coming writing talent, said Aurora’s executive director Sunny Bush.

“We just want to instil some great writing skills in our young people and hope it could create some pathways to careers in writing.”

Over the two days students ventured on a tiki tour to historical sites around Tairawhiti to connect with the region’s origins, Ms McQuillan said.

“On the first day we went on a tour to local heritage sites and heard stories about their history. The students used images and sounds of the places to create their own stories, some wrote about landing places, Maori and Pakeha first encounters and about their own experience.”

She said she was impressed with the talent and saw great progress over the workshop.

“I saw a huge improvement over the two days from the kids and they can see the improvement themselves.”

Ms McQuillan is already lined up to return next year, and said she was excited by the prospect.

“I would love to come back. I have had such a buzz. I’m exhausted, but I've enjoyed it.”

Aurora, a certified charitable trust, is dedicated to advancing the cause of gifted education. It specialises in providing high level learning programmes to our most talented children to excel in a wide range of areas, Ms Bush said.