Award written in the sky

By Tania Martin
A STORY about a rain dance has won budding author Katherine Sullivan a 2007 Young Aussie Writer’s Award.
Katherine, 12, a grade six student at Gembrook Primary School, was one of seven award winners from across Australia and New Zealand.
She said winning the award was a huge shock but also a great feeling and that it would give her the confidence to enter more competitions.
She said writing is one of her great loves and that she spends a lot of her spare time creating and writing stories.
“I love being able to use my imagination and the freedom to write about anything,” she said.
Her winning story is about Molly, a young girl who lives on a farm but because of the drought has to go to live with her aunt in the city. While at her aunt’s house Molly reads about a rain dance and decides to give it a try.
The dance proves to be successful when it starts to rain and the drought is eased and Molly returns home to the farm.
Katherine said the inspiration for her story came from the recent dry weather and media coverage of the drought and water shortages.
Although this budding author has a passion for writing, it was a friend who gave her the inspiration to enter the competition.
“One of my friends was entering the competition and I thought I would have a go at it,” she said.
Katherine was chosen as one of seven winners from more than 2000 students who entered from Australia and New Zealand.
She said that one day she hopes to be able to turn her passion for writing into a career as a novelist.