Two weeks ago we were fortunate to have a New Zealand author, Anne Kayes, visit the school. She spoke to some year 10 English classes about her young adult novel called ‘In our own Backyard.’

 Parts of the novel are set during the 1981 Springbok tour and are told from the perspective of a 15-year-old girl, Liza who is on a journey of discovering how to find and use her own voice. 

Students enjoyed hearing a bit more about this part of New Zealand’s history and hearing Anne read from her book.  Anne also gave some great tips on creative writing and how to write a great story that will engage the reader.

by Catherine Anthony