On Wednesday 6th June, the 7ENG1 and 8ENG1 classes attended the bi-annual Abbotsleigh Literary Festival and viewed presentations by former Australian Slam Poet Champion, Phil Wilcox, and Somali-Australian writer, Abdi Aden. The boys were entertained by the linguistic gymnastics, vivid imagery and stage presence of Phil Wilcox as he described his experience as a slam poet and recited several interactive poems.
From experiencing the power of language in the exciting world of slam poetry, the boys were transported to the desperate life of a war torn refugee that Abdi Aden endured and survived when he was the same age as the boys. Abdi Aden’s memoir Shining: The Story of a Lucky Man recounts his devastating experiences fleeing war torn Somalia, residing in a Kenyan refugee camp and travelling via Romania and Germany to Melbourne with admirable humour. The Abbotsleigh Literary Festival provided the boys with a valuable insight into the power of language and the amazing worlds one can explore through literature.
