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2021 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge and The Arts Unit

The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.

The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is available for all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year 9, in government, independent, Catholic and home schools.

Visit the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge website for more information about the challenge.

Go back to The Arts Unit Premier's Challenges pageBack to Home

Videos from previous years

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Author videos

Nat Amoore

Duration:
7:56

Ivy from Ebenezer Public School chats to 'The AMAAAZING Nat Amoore!' about her writing process. Nat shares her top tips for creating great characters, why she thinks children are going to make a difference in the world, and what she wants to be when she grows up.  

Suitable for primary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (primary) - 01. Nat Amoore
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Zana Fraillon

Duration:
11:21

Emily from Galston High School talks to Zana Fraillon at the Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day. Zana shares her writing process, how she decides who her audience will be, and the importance of research. She also shares the process of writing her latest award-winning novel, The Lost Soul Atlas, and how important it is to be respectful and authentic when creating characters from diverse backgrounds.

Suitable for secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (secondary) - 05. Zana Fraillon
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Leanne Hall

Duration:
15:11

Join Ashley from Galston High School in conversation with Australian author Leanne Hall, about the real-life drama that inspired her latest book, The Gaps. Leanne reflects on the importance of representing contemporary settings and characters in her work, and how being a writer has changed the way she views herself and the world around her.

Suitable for secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (secondary) - 03. Leanne Hall
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Jeremy Lachlan

Duration:
10:36

Georgia from Galston High School talks to Jeremy Lachlan talks about his love of action adventure and fantasy, and how getting lost in a museum helped inspire his first book, Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds. Jeremy provides some inspiring tips for writing – what part do Nintendo and naps play in his process? Tune in to find out!

Suitable for secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (secondary) - 02. Jeremy Lachlan
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Gary Lonesborough

Duration:
9:41

Gary Lonesborough shares his experience as a debut author with Angie from Galston High School backstage at the Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day. Gary talks about what inspired his own-voices novel The Boy From the Mish, and how his real-life experiences and relationships inspired the fictional settings and characters in his book.

Suitable for secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (secondary) - 01. Gary Lonesborough
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Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood

Duration:
11:31

Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood share their pigeon expertise with Abigail from Ebenezer Public School. Did you know there are hundreds of different types of pigeons – and only some of them fight crimes? Andrew and Ben share their experience of collaborating as author and illustrator to create their fantastic Real Pigeons series.

Suitable for primary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (primary) - 05. Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood
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Michael Pryor

Duration:
11:56

Michael Pryor has written almost 40 books, and he sits down with Jasmine from Galston High School to talk about his Gap Year in Ghost Town duology. He shares why he focuses on Australian landmarks and landscapes in his writing, and what he enjoys about writing contemporary fantasy books which play with stereotypes.

Suitable for secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (secondary) - 04. Michael Pryor
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Emily Rodda

Duration:
11:36

Declan from Lidcombe Public School talks to one of Australia’s most beloved children’s authors, the wonderful Emily Rodda! Emily shares her journey as an author, from writing extensively as a child to having her first novel published at 36, to now over 100 books later! Join Declan and Emily as we get some insight into the writing process for some of our favourite children’s books.

Suitable for primary and secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (primary) - 04. Emily Rodda
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Kirli Saunders

Duration:
10:41

Kirli Saunders, proud Gunai Woman and award-winning author, chats to Ella-Rose from Lidcombe Public about discovering her love of sharing stories as a child. They discuss how stories can change the world, and help us through difficult times. Kirli also provides some fantastic tips for your young writers!

Suitable for primary and secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (primary) - 02. Kirli Saunders
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Jessica Townsend

Duration:
13:20

Matilda from Ebenezer Public School interviews the 'Wunder-full' Jessica Townsend. Jessica talks about her inspiration as a writer, how to deliver stories that are both familiar by using tropes but also be original, and her top tips for coming up with character names. There are many more tales to come from Jessica in the world of Morrigan Crow, so get the inside scoop on this fantastic series while you wait for the next book in the series!

Suitable for primary and secondary students.

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Video transcript –
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2021 - Author talks (primary) - 03. Jessica Townsend
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Videos filmed and edited by David Todd.

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