Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky’s Author/Writer Session
Jan is the author/writer of seven books, twelve radio features, two television documentaries and several stage shows, many of them dealing with life stories. (See Writing CV below)

Jan talks to students about his experiences as a writer across these various forms, including:

What inspires and where his ideas come from
Learning to write on the job
Story research
Storytelling
His passion for sharing quality Australian stories
The importance of respect for other people’s stories, particularly Indigenous stories
Oral literature on the page, and the process of oral history.
The publishing/broadcasting experience
Reading and performing pieces from his work

Jan draws on forty years of performance experience to deliver a session that is not only educational but also highly entertaining.

 

Practical Details:

Curriculum: For all years of Secondary English. Teacher’s … Further information

Literature Out Loud
Literature Out Loud  is for Secondary and Upper PS English students, and is a performance of colloquial Australian ‘folk’ writing and literature. Some material Jan revives from obscurity, some is from popular writers, and some students will never have heard before. The performance will feature a variety of English literature/oral forms:

Short stories
Yarns, tales, anecdotes.
Myths & legends
Oral literature/history
Songs and poems, in rhyme and blank verse

With an emphasis on character and story, Literature Out Loud gives students an experience of colloquial Australian poetry, such as CJ Dennis’ masterful rendering of Romeo & Juliet in The Play and Darwin writier Andrew McMillan’s masterpiece from the Top End, A Postcard from Hell In October; writing from other well-knows such as Mary Gilmore and  Henry Lawson;  master yarn-spinning … Further information

For thousands of years stories have been our most powerful way of communicating. Stories are embedded in our religions, books, films and teaching.

For Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky, his love of storytelling began with his refugee family telling tales of their journeys to Australia. Further information

Little Books, Big Songs
Lee Fox & Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky

An all ’round literacy, writing & music residency 

Thank you so much for your amazing visit to our school. It was a fantastic experience for all involved. Further information