The Best of WriteOn 2024 (Digital) - This can only be downloaded when payment is received.

The Best of WriteOn 2024 is an anthology of award-winning entries by primary school students in New South Wales from the annual WriteOn competition.

Using the painting shown on the front cover as inspiration, students from Years 1to 6 have created a variety of imaginative responses in the form of narratives and poems, as well as a diary entry, a letter and even detective fiction. A range of historical narratives showcase students’ knowledge of the past and historical information about what it was like at the railway station at Redfern in 1893.

These young writers describe the scene, experiences and emotions from multiple perspectives in the painting. They cover themes that hold meaning for them: kindness, hope, integrity, self-discovery, self-reflection, belonging, poverty and homelessness, hard work and determination, and overcoming hardship.

A frequent theme throughout much of the students’ writing in 2024 is choosing a positive attitude, because, in the words of a winning entry:

“… A carriage full of laughing friends goes by and I feel alone.
The rain gets louder.
But then I realise I have my yellow raincoat.
And that makes me happy.”

This anthology is a celebration of young people’s creativity and self-expression.