This week, we celebrated Book Week 2026, embracing the theme Symphony of Stories. Throughout the week, students explored the connections between music, stories and the different genres that bring them to life.
Students had the opportunity to hear from two visiting authors, Ash Harrier and A.J. Betts, who shared their experiences as writers and offered an insight into the many ways stories can be created. A.J. Betts encouraged our Year 8 students to think about writing as a process of solving problems, drawing on her own experiences as a writer across a range of genres. She also shared that she published her first poem when she was in Year 7, making her journey as a writer particularly relatable to our students. Reflecting on the presentation, Year 8 student Emeline Spence shared that she learned how “A.J. Betts is inspired by real life situations and turns it into a story,” while Claire Bienkowski noted that “whenever A.J. Betts reads she gets taken to a new place. In her writing she is able to make new worlds and new imaginations.”
Across the week, the WLC became a hub of Book Week activity, with students engaging in creative challenges, interactive genre stations, scavenger hunts and book-inspired crafts. Around the WLC were themed stations where book genres and music genres merged, along with a selection of the wonderful books the library has on offer.
A highlight of the week was the Write a Book in a Day challenge, where a team of Year 8 students worked together to create an original story using unseen prompts, characters and words. Looking forward to the challenge, Year 8 student Briellen D’Arcy said, “I am excited to be challenged in writing a book in a day. I get to spend the day with a group that also love writing!”
The celebrations concluded on Friday with the annual dress-up day, costume parade and live drumming performance, bringing the College community together in a vibrant celebration of literature. For Year 9 student Morgan Lock, who participates in Book Week every year, the dress-up day remains a favourite tradition: “Dress up day is always the best part of Book Week. I love getting to see everyone’s creativity shine through and have fun with their friends throughout the whole day.”