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.
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