While all of Story Factory’s programs aim to help young people develop their creative writing skills, the Year of Poetry program dials this to the max, as young writers discover their poetic voice and publish their own book.
Year 10 student Kaarthik Raja Nallakumar from Arthur Phillip High School joined the program in late Term 1 on a recommendation from a friend. And the Year of Poetry turned out to be just the right thing. “I was initially planning on joining Year of the Novella, but was a little late in enrolling, so joined Year of Poetry instead and I think I like it better,” Kaarthik says. “I enjoy writing generally, but in poetry I can write creatively and openly. There are no limits.”
The program has guided Kaarthik in his creative expression and to tell stories in a new and interesting way. “When it comes to writing, you’re either creating a world or recording your own,” he says. “I like reading and writing poems that convey a continuous story, rather than talk about a specific object. For me, it’s about storytelling through poetry – carrying a plot and a narrative through a poem.”
Already one of Story Factory’s most committed students, Kaarthik is well on his way to publishing his own collection of poetry at the end of the year. “I try to write a poem every two days – that’s a goal that I have. When I write every day, it’s easier to be inspired by whatever’s around me.
“From Story Factory, I’ve learnt there are many more types of poems than I initially realised. I’m really looking forward to seeing all of my poetry in a book at the end of the program. I’ve been writing lots of poems during the school holidays and have taken part in a local writing competition recently. I want to spend the rest of the year learning more about poetry and exploring new ways in which I can write.”
“A Visionary” by Kaarthik Raja Nallakumar
The sky, stained, with clouds so white / Brushed gently, with a wet wash of blue / Spotted here and there, with specks of birds / Hinted, with a pale yellow sun. / The forest, dark, with leaves of dark green / Forming canopies, over tree bark / Emphasised with brown strokes / Thin strokes of grass with a bright green hue. / A wave, of water so blue, covering the centre page // With nothing but dry grey, hovering over the horizon / Making white lines and curves appearing below, / A dolphin, jumping out of the water, making a big splash. / Such beautiful images, warming my heart / Such perfect lines, creating beautiful art / If I could ever dream, of scenes so many, / That, I would call, a visionary.
