Successful fundraising bid enables Speed Dating with a twist to reach Porirua

The Book Council has drawn on community support through a two-month crowdfunding appeal to successfully fund a Speed Date an Author workshop for young writers in Porirua next term.

Teaming up with Pledge Me, the Book Council raised almost $4000 with 31 generous donors pledging their financial support for Speed Date. Donors included one very generous local woman who read of our plight in the Kapi-Mana News and pledged to meet the shortfall just before the fundraiser closed.

These open-hearted donations mean that this event will be free for all participants. Chief Executive of the Book Council Noel Murphy says:

‘We are touched by the display of generosity which enabled our success in this Pledge Me campaign. Our schools programmes are hugely valued and an inspiration to the children and teachers who take part. It’s wonderful that this appeal has enabled us to extend this inspirational programme into Porirua. We will certainly look to run other fundraising appeals using this method.’ 

Speed Date an Author will involve six of New Zealand’s top authors, and 60 of Porirua’s top young writers aged 11-14 (years 7-10). Each author will inspire and encourage the young writers to improve particular aspects of their writing, during six 20 minute long sessions during the event. The students will then move into their chosen groups to complete writing exercises with these writers, further deepening their learning. Writers Kate De Goldi, Mandy Hager and Karlo Mila have already agreed to lead this event in the last week of October, and three other authors will join them. 

This event will be run with the support of the Porirua Writers’ Walk committee, with the aim of enhancing the creative output of top students in the run-up to the Porirua-wide writing competition planned for Term 2 2013. This competition is to be run in correlation to the development of the Porirua Writers’ Walk.

Porirua schools will receive a fax-back registration form in the next few weeks, but schools already interested in the event are encouraged to reserve their spaces through Sarah on the contact below.

The Book Council would like to unreservedly thank all of our wonderful donors and supporters for believing in Speed Date an Author, and supporting the power that writing has to open up the imagination.