Their inclusion in the festival’s sideshow is an opportunity to showcase the talents of NSW high schoolers and honour the teachers who supported their literary pursuits.
It brings the 19 young writers into the same circles as some of Australia’s biggest names in literature, film and theatre.
To honour the graduates’ work, the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has released the Young Writers Showcase Anthology – a book to be enjoyed by schools, families and the broader public.
This is the 23rd year in a row that NESA has developed the Anthology and the first year the book has been launched at the Sydney Writers Festival.
The Anthology, available from today, brings together the selected works of poetry, short stories, scripts, critical analysis and even a podcast.
While taking many forms, each work is a small piece of the young person writing it, and each tells a story about their perspectives of the world.
Many of the works reflect on notions personal to the HSC graduates, including their families, their culture and language, and their observations of their local and broader community.
The quality of the writing celebrates the robust English curriculum and committed teachers who have nurtured the talents of these young people.
Australian author and Young Writers Showcase alumna Vivian Pham attended the launch and shared her thoughts and advice with the latest cohort of young writers from the HSC.
Respected industry heavyweight and Australian playwright David Williamson has written the foreword for this year’s Young Writers Showcase Anthology, available for purchase now via the NESA Shop.
The full list of selected students and their schools is available on NESA's HSC Showcase hub.
CEO of the NSW Education Standards Authority said:
"Congratulations to the young writers celebrated for their writing talents and thank you to the teachers who supported their students through to the finish line.
“I know the English Extension 2 course can be a gruelling one - that requires time management, self-motivation and an immense passion and curiosity for the topic students choose to explore.
“I am blown away by the calibre of talent that is reflected in the Young Writers Showcase Anthology – and I am so pleased to see these young writers celebrated as part of the Sydney Writers Festival.
“This year NESA has expanded its partnership with the Festival and increased the offering for Student Sessions that will help our next generation of writers to hone their skills.
“For the first time this year, students will not only hear from esteemed writers – they will also hear from teachers who are experts in their field.
“All the best to the 2023 HSC graduates selected – I am sure we will see your names in the Arts and beyond in the future.”
