by Sarah Blinco | Mar 17, 2014 | Travel blogger destinations, Travel Live Learn in the media
AUSTRALIA’S MOST INSPIRING YOUNG WRITERS UNCOVERED
Last week seven of Australia’s brightest writers discovered they were winners in a national student writing competition hosted by Sugoi Media Australasia and Media Bootcamp Australia.
READ THE WINNING ENTRIES
The competition, promoted throughout high school English departments Australia wide, garnered much attention and the standard of entries was exceptionally high. Aspiring writers and media stars were encouraged to submit a piece of up to 500 words in any format (i.e. poem, interview, news story, fiction…) but the work had to relate to the theme “INSPIRE”.
Director of Sugoi Media, Sarah Blinco, says, “The judging panel which consisted of media, publishing and education professionals, was excited and surprised to receive so many high quality entries from across Australia. It was difficult narrowing down to finalists, let alone choosing winners. As it was, we extended the ‘final six’ to include a seventh outstanding and unique entry. It’s been so rewarding liaising with enthusiastic young talent. Too often media spotlights those youngsters behaving badly, and this is an excellent opportunity to promote the quiet achievers − the kids who are smart, hard working and switched on − who actually do deserve the attention.”
Each of the winners achieved their first ever published piece by being showcased on popular lifestyle website, travellivelearn.com, which receives thousands of visits from all over the world each month. They will also enjoy a digital mentoring session with an industry professional as part of their prize, in order to assist them to hone in on individual writing and media goals.
This national writing competition was hosted in conjunction with Media Bootcamp, a world-first digital mentoring and training program designed to provide extra assistance to high achieving English and media students keen on a career in communications, media, publishing, radio or PR. It’s particularly useful for students in the city who want to get a head start on their careers, and students in regional parts of Australia who lack resources and opportunities to be trained and mentored by relevant industry professionals. Media Bootcamp was developed in 2012, has already fostered exceptional young talent around the country, and has assisted a number of students into trainee roles in radio and communications well ahead of the time it usually takes to get a foot in the door of these competitive industries.
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For further information please contact info(at)sugoimedia.com.
Editors, additional links of interest:
by Guest contributor | Mar 16, 2014 | Travel Live Learn in the media
And an extra special prize because we thought this entry was, well, extra special! We recently hosted an Australia-wide search for writing talent and received an extraordinary response. Students submitted entries based around a theme, “inspire”, and this week we’ve showcased the final six winners, however, there was one additional entry that we really enjoyed, and while every piece we received was excellent, we felt compelled to also publish this one:
Show your support for our winners’ efforts by leaving a comment and sharing their amazing entries on your social media profiles for a few well-deserved likes.
Media Bootcamp national writing competition winner Australia – a badge for extraordinary effort, Patrick Gibb, VIC
When I was about to die, I thought of King Henry the Fifth’s speech, written by Shakespeare. With hindsight, it seems stupid, but those words were the most clarifying I have ever known.
Lying face-down in a ditch, ready for a stray bullet to plunge into my body, a dead friend lying next to me; ice-cold terror gripped at my heart. I was oblivious to the overwhelming enemy gunfire or the screaming of pain from somewhere nearby. But Graham’s eyes pulled me out of the trance just before I was dunked head-first into shock. His eyes should have been green, but in the shadow of the ditch, the blood frozen in his veins, they had turned ocean-blue.
I wasn’t aware I started to cry until much later, but the tears must have pulled me out of my trance. I could hear the roars of the machineguns, and the barks of nearby assault-rifles. To my right were two soldiers behind a rock. Doc was crouching over Macillan, doing his best to patch up the wounds. Macillan was screaming in pain, his sobs piercing my ears. I looked left, past Graham’s body. There were three other guys behind a destroyed car. They were attempting to return fire on the machine-gun nest, to no avail.
I tried to build up my courage to help my squad. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out my heart, which seemed to have taken a jackhammer to my ribcage. I tried to control my breathing, which seemed to be catching onto something in my throat. I felt a warm tear roll down my cheek.
I suppose that’s what hopelessness feels like. I had to do something. Anything. I opened my eyes, and looked into Graham’s blue ones.
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”
I gritted my teeth, suddenly furious. And pushed myself off the ground.
“For he to-day that sheds his blood with me”
My gun was in my hands, blood pumping in my ears. I faced the enemy positions head-on, fearless.
“Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile”
I could see the bright muzzle flashes from the windows of the huts. I stepped out of the ditch, breaking into a sprint.
“This day shall gentle his condition”
My boots pounded the grass, enemy guns turned to face me. My team watched in utter astonishment as I charged the machine-gun nest.
“And gentlemen in England now a-bed”
I pulled the trigger as I ran, feeling the recoil of every round against my shoulder. Enemy bullets whipped past me harmlessly.
“Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here”
I grabbed a grenade from my belt, still firing my rifle one-handed. With one fluid movement, I pulled the pin from it.
“And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speak”
I roared out loud, and threw the grenade with all my might, the explosive arcing over the battle, straight into the enemy machine-gun nest.
“That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day”
For Graham.
Patrick, we love this! You’re a talented storyteller and we’re forwarding you a prize to encourage you along the path to your dream career. Keep up the terrific work!
This competition was brought to you by Sugoi Media, Media Bootcamp, Get it Magazine, Get it Media, TravelLiveLearn.com, Hot Tamale Media Australia Pty Ltd
by Guest contributor | Mar 15, 2014 | Travel Live Learn in the media
Rounding off our winners, here’s another from VIC: We recently hosted an Australia-wide search for writing talent and received an extraordinary response. Students submitted entries based around a theme, “inspire”, and this week we’re showcasing the final six winners (in no particular order).
Show your support for their efforts by leaving a comment below and sharing their amazing entries on your social media profiles for a few well-deserved likes.
Media Bootcamp national writing competition Australia – Danni Tzivakis, VIC
I wake up as light starts to pour through the window. My shoulders are sore from being hunched up from the cold and my back aches from lying on my thin, air-depleted mattress that rests on hard concrete. I have been showering in a river and using a squat toilet.
And I have never been happier in my life.
I sigh with absolute joy. I walk outside, and let my eyes feast on the spectacular view of the green mountains looming above. Surrounding me are bamboo huts and children running through the field kicking a deflated soccer ball, laughing merrily. In the distance, the construction site anticipates its completion so that more dedicated children can be educated.
I stare through the open window of a classroom – I have taught a class of forty grade three students in there. I smile at the memory of yesterday and how I had them all standing up exuberantly singing ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’. When they sang it all by themselves my heart jumped with delight; I felt like a proud mother as I watched.
But my favourite part of the day is playing with the kids.
Yesterday Say and I were racing up an uneven dirt hill; I lost my footing and fell over. He had already scrambled up to the top, but turned, holding out his hand to help me up. Then he scuttled all the way up a tree, and came back down with a bunch of lovely yellow flowers that he proudly presented to me. We held hands and skipped through the village then I grabbed his hands and spun him around until we both got dizzy. He is the sweetest eleven year old I’ve ever met.
What I’ve learnt here is that happiness comes from the simple things; not a fancy car, a luxurious house or a well-paying job. Putting a grin on a child’s face or seeing them light up with laughter – that is what makes me truly happy. I wake up every day to picturesque mountains instead of a dull suburban street full of dull houses and greedy, complaining people. I would much rather be here and forego the unnecessary luxuries of beds, hot showers and televisions. Obviously people are happier without them anyway.
Here it is so easy to be happy; back home I usually only feel happy when I get an A+ on an exam, but here I walk outside, hi-five a kid and my heart flutters with happiness.
The people here do not live to make money, they are not consumed by greed; they purely live for joy and for community.
First world countries have a lot to learn from the third world.
I am making a difference and it feels good.
I feel inspired; I am inspired by these kids and their joy, by this village and its simplicity. Being here has sparked something in me that this is what I want to do, and here is where I want to be.
Danni, congratulations on being one of our six 2014 national winners. We were inspired by your entry – it certainly belongs right here on a space about travelling, living and learning. We hope you’ll endeavour with all three of those elements in your life.
This competition was brought to you by Sugoi Media, Media Bootcamp, Get it Magazine, Get it Media, TravelLiveLearn.com, Hot Tamale Media Australia Pty Ltd
by Guest contributor | Mar 14, 2014 | Travel Live Learn in the media
Another talented young writer from Victoria: We recently hosted an Australia-wide search for writing talent and received an extraordinary response. Students submitted entries based around a theme, “inspire”, and this week we’re showcasing the final six winners (in no particular order).
Show your support for their efforts by leaving a comment below and sharing their amazing entries on your social media profiles for a few well-deserved likes.
Media Bootcamp national writing competition winner Australia – Julia Sansone, VIC
Inspire is more than a word. It’s more than a feeling one obtains when looking at a painting, or an outfit, or even another person – it is how our world, despite its inexhaustible variety, remains existing.
Inspiration lives in the veins of every human being, and with that inspiration, we feed off one another, linking hands and reaching into each other, bringing back something new every time. Inspiration is what starts the small things and ends up encapsulating an entire life. Inspiration comes from the note of a song, a ray of light or the glimpse of beauty when driving in the car. Inspiration comes to you, it comes like a day at the beach, slowly, slowly then all at once the tide is kissing the edges of your towel on the sand, giggling at your panic to grab your things before it swallows it whole. Inspiration is through the eye of a lens, the gesture of a stranger and the first bite of a hard earned meal. Inspiration is missing the bus home, getting caught in the rain and taking the wrong turn. Inspiration greets you like a friend and holds your hand on the way home, often fluttering away on the occasions you need it most.
Inspiration peers around the corner of your bleakly lit study, heavy eyes trying to pull something out of your head and turn it into scribbled handwriting. It greets you with a warm cup of coffee at 1am, or even visits in your sleep, soon to leave before the morning hits your eyes.
People who inspire don’t intend to inspire. Footprints that want to be left in the sands of our history are never positive ones, and the best kind of marks left on the world are by people who don’t take the tracks, but struggle through the shrubbery to find their lost possessions and discover even more on the way.
But most of all, like most things in the world, to be inspired comes from within. Seeking for another word to write, or action to take… but the catch is – what you are looking for will always reside with you and hover over you, just waiting for you to look outside and say hello. Inspiration is very good at hide and seek and is teaching you that as a part of life, you must keep looking. Keep on searching and question everything that comes into your eyes. Look at what you see, and then look beyond what you’re really looking at. Remember the feeling of being inspired, and in turn, embrace that feeling with both hands, grasp it firmly and let it grow like a wildfire in the summer and like vines in an unkept garden – what some consider a beast others see as a blessing.
Maybe you can’t inspire the world all at once, but if you are making at least one person’s life a little happier – you are inspiration.
Julia, congratulations on being one of our six 2014 national winners. We loved your piece because not only is it well written, but you’ve managed to reflect upon a wide variety of every day inspiration that anyone can take a lesson from.
This competition was brought to you by Sugoi Media, Media Bootcamp, Get it Magazine, Get it Media, TravelLiveLearn.com, Hot Tamale Media Australia Pty Ltd
