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PRESENTS2 - 8 April 2024A week long celebration of stories and storytellingto connect, understand, inspire, empathise andbelong

Lydia FengWe are honoured to have ABC news presenterLydia Feng joining us to talk with Years 11 and 12about her impressive career as a journalist. Lydia is a presenter of ABC News, anchoring the NSW 7PM News Bulletin. In addition to a focus on diverse communities, Lydia has covered major news events such as the BlackSummer bushfires, COVID-19, and the 2023 NSWelection. She has also reported for ForeignCorrespondent. Lydia has over a decade ofexperience, having previously worked at the SevenNetwork, SBS World News and Caixin Media inBeijing.Tuesday 2 AprilTania BlanchardBest-selling author, Tania Blanchard, joins us tospeak with senior History students and College staff.Tania’s historical fiction novels are inspired by herown family history. Her grandparents’ stories of lifein Europe during World War Two and migration toAustralia offer the basis for some of her writing,while a story from her husband’s family has drawnher to write her most recent novel, A Woman ofCourage. The latter is set in Victorian England and isabout women fighting for equality, especially inachieving the right to vote.
Staff who are interested in hearing Tania speak onTuesday, 2 April at 3:30pm-4:30pm, please emaillibrary@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au. 

Wednesday 3 AprilJade GoodwinWe can’t wait to welcome Jade Goodwin, a First Nationsillustrator. Her gorgeous illustrations feature in thepopular Junior Fiction series of Little Ash books, as well asAsh Barty’s recent picture book My Dream For You. Jadehas also recently had a collection of illustration elementsadded to Canva and is passionate about inspiring herviewers with a range of characters and perspectives. Jadewill be working with all of Year 2, and students in theSecondary School will also have the opportunity to work1:1 with Jade, but get in quick, spaces are limited! Year 7-11 students can sign up HERE to attend Jade’sillustration and design workshop. The workshop will takeplace on Wednesday, 3 April in Period 2 (please make sureyou do not have any other commitments such as exams,assessments or excursions on). Victoria Adamovich and Jacqueline QinEver wanted to know how to write a picture book?Our talented staff member Victoria Adamovich wrote herdebut picture book, The Story of My Names, in 2023. Itthoughtfully explores how the beautiful sound of a name canbe butchered in translation, how a child can lose their nameand themselves, and how acceptance brings a sense ofbelonging. Recent Pymble graduate and gifted artist, Jacqueline Qin,beautifully illustrated the book as a major work for HSCDesign and Tech. Jacqueline is an inspiring animator andartist, winning the prestigious Young Archie Award in 2021. Victoria and Jacqueline will be speaking to our formerPymble Write a Book in a Day teams at LUNCH, and otherbudding writers and artists are welcome to emaillibrary@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au to express interest.

Thursday 4 AprilMaryam MasterWe are delighted to welcome award-winning children’sauthor Maryam Master to the Festival. Born in Iran andmoving to Australia when she was nine, Maryam hasdrawn on her own experiences to write the beautiful,hopeful and compassionate novel, No Words. Herdebut Exit Through the Gift Shop, was an equallymoving and highly acclaimed novel. Maryam is also ascreenwriter and playwright. Maryam will beconducting a workshop with enthusiastic young writersas well as speaking to the Year 7 cohort. Year 7-10 students can sign up HERE to attendMaryam’s writing workshop on Thursday, 4 April inPeriod 4 (please make sure you do not have any othercommitments such as exams, assessments orexcursions on). Fabric for a FeastInitiated by Jane Théau in 2015, Fabric for a Feast is aproject with an objective to make a never-finishedtablecloth from an antique linen sheet. Many peoplesince then have been embroidering the tablecloth. Wewould love your story to be part of this tablecloth too! If you search you will find the joyful, unpolishedstitches of children, a lotus flower begun by someonewho passed away before they could finish it, an eyecreated by a Syrian refugee, and some expertherringbone stitch. Year 7-11 students and staff can sign up HERE to attendan embroidery workshop on the communal tableclothon Thursday, 4 April in Period 3 (please make sure youdo not have any other commitments such as exams,assessments or excursions on).

Victoria AdamovichWe have our very own Victoria Adamovich, ResearchAssistant at the Pymble Research Institute and EAL/Dteacher in the Junior School, joining us to share the storyof her name.In 2023 Victoria wrote her debut picture book, The Storyof My Names. The motivation for the picture book camefrom the frustration that many books with Chineseprotagonists, like Chinese Cinderella, were set in China’s‘deep’ past and told of hardships, a China the studentscouldn’t relate to. Victoria wanted to tell a ‘mirror’ storyfor the students at school to relate to, which would alsobe a ‘window’ story, to build understanding and empathy.The Story of My Names thoughtfully explores how thebeautiful sound of a name can be butchered in translation,how a child can lose their name and themselves, and howacceptance brings a sense of belonging.Victoria will be sharing the story of her names with staff atLUNCH in the Conde Library. Friday 5 AprilConde Craft - Sharing Stories editionWe will be making notebooks in a special Conde Craft to celebrate the wonderful array of stories that fill the world. Ye ar 7-12 students can sign up HERE to join our notebookmaking fun on Friday 5 April at LUNCH. Please feel free tobring your food with you to eat while we are crafting.

Monday 8 AprilErin GoughErin Gough is a fiction writer living on Gadigal land inSydney, whose award-winning work has been publishedglobally. She is the author of three books: AmeliaWestlake, The Flywheel, and her new novel Into theMouth of the Wolf. She has also written a novella andshort fiction including Bitter drought in Kindred: 12Queer #LoveOzYA Stories. Erin’s writing navigatescontemporary themes with lyricism, humour, andcharm. Her talks focus on the importance of readingdiversely and learning how to tell your individual story.Her workshops explore the craft of storytelling. Year 7-11 students can sign up HERE to attend Erin’swriting workshop on Monday, 8 April in Period 5 (pleasemake sure you do not have any other commitments suchas exams, assessments or excursions on). Living LibraryThe 3-6 Library will host a vibrant Living Library at lunchtimes from 2-4 April. Members of the Pymble communitywill be presenting stories that can be told with their handscan tell and sharing the skills associated. The programfeatures an exciting array of ‘stories’ including calligraphy,cake decorating, braiding, saree draping, paper craft andplaying a Pi Pa. Junior School students have been sent aspecial sign-up form. Tuesday 2 April - Thursday 4 AprilWe look forward to sharing and making stories with you at the Festival