Yesterday was something special. 🖤💛❤️
The Deadly Writing Festival came to life, a dream to get more kids writing with purpose, pride, and power. Writing that reflects ALL of who we are — our stories, our voices, our identity, including our Aboriginal English and languages.
We connected with around 15,000 students nationwide, streaming live into classrooms via Zoom and YouTube, with many more accessing it on demand. The energy, truth, and connection in every session reminded us why storytelling matters.
A deadly collaboration with Littlescribe brought our shared vision of student stories and authoring to life.
Our host, the incredible Luke Carroll, brought humour, heart, and inspiration, plus a surprise visit from some Play School friends! I had the honour of co-hosting his session where reflected on his journey and honoured his late mum, Aunty Fay Carroll. A powerful legacy in education.
We were joined by:
🌟 Guyala Bayles – poet, model, advocate and force. Her words got students on their feet — one school even gave her a standing ovation.
🌟 Corey Tutt – science legend Zooming in from flood-affected Country with deadly facts, reptiles, and reflections on language and knowledge.
🌟 Thomas Mayo – a calm, powerful voice sharing truth on purpose, the referendum, and the hope that keeps us going.
🌟 James Foley – brought students’ ideas to life with live illustrations that felt like magic.
I shared my own journey — the power of dreams, grief, healing, and how education helped me find my voice and purpose.
Students reflected and connected deeply.
Thank you to our deadly team! We all made this dream real.
#deadlywritingfestival #dreambig #ourstoriesmatter #writingwithpurpose