Four Indigenous Great Southern Grammar students have their novels published in Our Yarning collection

Four Great Southern Grammar students have taken the first step on their literary journeys, with the young authors publishing their first novels as part of a literacy program. Year 12 students Faith Bin Omar, Charlie Ritchie and Wayahpo Manolis and Year 9 student Azriel Bin Omar recently had their stories published in the Our Yarning literacy collection. The program, run by international group Library For All, focuses on improving the literacy of Indigenous children by providing a platform for people to contribute their entries to a free library of books and educational resources. Faith Bin Omar has published her sophomore novel, having already published Azriel Rides Her Motorbike, a tale centred on her younger cousin, last year. The 17-year-old had her second book Azriel Goes for a Boat Ride published in May, recalling her childhood growing up in remote northern WA. “My inspirations around the stories came from looking back when I was growing up in the Kimberley and my cousin and I used to spend a lot of time together, getting out and about. I wanted to raise awareness about the dangers in remote communities,” she said. “When we sat down to write the stories, I initially struggled to think of an idea but as I said, I just thought about my childhood adventures and the stories really came to life. “It was exciting to see the stories in print. “It was a very proud and fulfilling moment to see all my hard work in physical form that others could read and share.” Bin Omar’s muse Azriel Bin Omar has now added her own work to the collection, with the 14-year-old publishing Looking Out the Window — a story about her cousin’s long drive home. Ritchie, 17, saw her name in print with the publication of Larry’s Lost Shell, as did Manolis, 18, with her yarn The Big Tummy Ache warning of the dangers of gluttony. GSG principal Matthew Irving said he was thrilled to see the students produce great work. “We are very proud of Faith, Charlie, Wayahpo and Azriel, and congratulate them on their achievement,” he said. “Please encourage your local library to include these books in their collection.” The books are available to buy on the Our Yarning website and Amazon.