Year 9 Author Visit - Alice Pung

Last Tuesday our Year 9 students had the privilege of hearing from author Alice Pung OAM, as she gave an insightful presentation about how our students can find inspiration for their own writing.

Alice was born in Footscray, a month after her parents Kuan and Kien arrived in Australia. Alice’s father, Kuan, named her after Lewis Carroll’s character, because after surviving Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime, he thought Australia was a Wonderland.

Alice’s childhood experiences as the daughter of immigrants living in Melbourne’s north-west serve as a major inspiration for her work. Her first two books are moving memoirs of the life of her and her family, and she has gone on to write novels, children’s books and anthologies.

Following her talk, some students were fortunate enough to participate in a writing workshop with Alice. They learned techniques to unlock their unique voice and create compelling characters, learning to seek creative inspiration from the unlikeliest of sources.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Alice for dedicating her time to guiding and inspiring our students, to Head of Library Ms Jacqui Gale for organising this opportunity, and to the students for their enthusiastic participation.

Students can find a selection of Alice Pung’s books available in our College library for further reading and inspiration. Laurinda, Alice’s YA novel set in a Victorian private school, is an ideal entry point.