Proudly providing New Zealand teachers with high-quality, motivating, curriculum-based resources

Skip to main content

Personal Experience Writing Competition

Last year the Fairfax NiE Personal Experience Writing Competition was run in conjunction with the Sunday Star Times Short Story Awards. Popular children’s author Joy Cowley judged the winners and prizes were generously donated by Whitcoulls and Random House.

Joy was impressed with the stories and commented, “A story that is real to the author, will be real to the reader. Young writers tell it the way it happened, and the result is a stunning sense of actuality. The authors write with an openness that places the reader in their experience, establishing the link between ‘author’ and ‘authentic’. I congratulate all entrants, especially the winners.”

 

Results in the Year 7-8 category

1st - Lisetta Darroch, St Joseph’s School, Nelson
2nd - Anna McIlroy, Tauranga Intermediate
3rd - Emily Wium, Heaton Normal Intermediate, Christchurch
(Read the top three stories here)

Highly Commended

Nicole Reynaud, Caprice Seccombe, Maidstone Intermediate, Upper Hutt; Taliah Su’a, Wanganui Intermediate; Bromley Dunlop, Ross Intermediate, Palmerston North; Niki Menzies, South Wellington Intermediate; Brittany Craythorne, Christchurch South Intermediate; Emily Deal, Fergusson Intermediate; Upper Hutt.

Merit

Zara Collinson, Wanganui Intermediate; Anna Newman, Levin Intermediate; Linda Zou, Murrays Bay Intermediate, Auckland; Harrison Smith, St Andrew’s College, Christchurch; Rebecca Ye, Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School; Fergus McColl, Ahititi School, Urenui; Sarah Starsmore, St Joseph's School, Opunake; Belle Mitford, Gisborne Intermediate; Hasan Adheem, Southwell School, Hamilton; Amy Palmer, Aranui School, Christchurch; Lauren James, Tauranga Intermediate; Caitlyn-Jane Miller, Northcross Intermediate, North Shore; Miriam Qualls, Christchurch South Intermediate; Nadia Green, Kaikoura High School; Athulya Rathnayake, Mt Roskill Intermediate, Auckland; Christina Calvero, St Joseph’s School, Queenstown.

Results in the Year 5-6 category

1st - Sean Kim, St Joseph’s School, Takapuna
2nd - Lily Calder, Cashmere School, Christchurch
3rd - Spencer Hayes, Mt Pleasant School, Christchurch
(Read the top three stories here)

Highly Commended

Jordan Marshall, Richmond Primary, Richmond; Sophia Daellenbach, Northland School, Wellington; Anais Maclennan, Otatara School, Otatara; Georgia Jones, Saint Mary’s School, Tauranga; Poppy Buissink, Rotary Park School, Waverley, Dunedin; Maia Barbuzza, Woodstock School, Hamilton; Shannon Roydhouse, Rolleston Primary School.

Merit

William Tanner, St Mary’s School, Carterton; Bridget Linge, St Cuthbert’s College, Auckland; Laura Wilson, Waterloo School, Wellington; Aimee Hyland, Lydia Munro, Selwyn House School, Christchurch; Poppy Munro, Mataroa School, Taihape; Margarita Montes de Oca, Muritai School, Eastbourne; Tahlia Weston, Shirley Primary, Christchurch; Emma McColl, Otatara School, Otatara; Libby Dalziell, Tinui School, Masterton; Sophie Cochrane, Columba College, Mosgiel; Ella Adams, Redwood Primary, Christchurch; Isabelle Oosterbroek, Elyse Lichtwark, Te Aho o Te kura Pounamu (Correspondence School); Pippi Duncan, Belmont School, Auckland; Rakelle Elisar, Waipu School, Waipu.