A way with words

THERE’s no doubt Cranbourne North’s Matthew Harper-Gomm is a talented wordsmith, after last month being named the BIC Young Australian Writer of The Year.
The Kambrya College student, who is involved in the High Achievers program at the school, was presented with the award by the Children’s Charity Network on Saturday 17 November.
Matthew, 14, was chosen for the title out of hundreds of prospective students across the country who entered their writing pieces with the organisation throughout the year.
His winning poem – titled The Legend of King Ethelred – was about a King called Ethelred who desired a rival king’s wife.
The poem describes how Ethelred wins the rival’s wife’s love and defends her against the revenge bent rival King.
The poem will now be featured in the next edition of the Oz Kids in Print Magazine as the main featured piece.
Matthew said he felt privileged to win this award.
“Winning this award has meant quite a lot to me as it has proven to me just how much people like and appreciate my creative writing,” he said.
“My mother Sally, father Peter and older brother Adrian were all so very proud of me.”
Matthew said his love of creative writing partly stemmed from his passion for reading.
“I have been an avid reader since the age of about five years old and I have always admired the writing techniques of authors,” he said.
“When I was in year five about four years ago, I first decided to try my hand at writing a short story which was published in the Oz Kids in Print magazine.
“Writing is bounded only by your imagination and I love to express my ideas and thoughts onto paper.
“I am currently working on writing a fantasy novel which I hope one day will be accepted by a reputable publishing company.”
The children’s charity network promotes the Young Australian Writers’ Awards and recognises the literary excellence of young Australian writers. Poetry and short stories are accepted throughout the year from all primary and secondary school students Australia-wide.
The selection committee judges all entries and entries selected for shortlisting are published in the Oz Kids in Print magazine.
At the end of the year all published entries are entered into the Young Australian Writers’ Awards – in which Matthew took out the top gong in this year.
The next edition of the Oz Kids in Print magazine will be up soon at www.ozkids.com.au