These young Furphy winners truly get it
By Natasha Fujimoto
THE words slip from Layla’s mouth as beautifully and as intently as her written word. Layla O’Callaghan is a 17-year-old from Goulburn Valley Grammar school and is this year’s Youth, Furphy Literary Award winner for her short story, Taliban.
It is indeed a remarkable piece, written with such acuity and imagery, the reader is transported immediately to the horror of Afghanistan one year ago, as the Taliban retook the country.
When asked why she chose such a subject to write about, Layla replied, “Watching it was just so different from my reality and it struck me how lucky I was.”
As the world watched the heinous events unfold, Layla wrote about it, in order to better comprehend it, “I guess it sounds cliché, but I use writing to process my emotions.”
Listening intently to Layla, Lila Plunkett nods knowingly at Layla’s sage words.
Lila is another talented writer from GVGS, winning the Junior short story category, at the same awards, for her remarkable tale, Colour.
Colour is a suspenseful narrative that depicts the plight of the Klein family as they flee through a dark tunnel, under the Berlin wall.
When asked, how she felt when she read her completed story, Lila replied, “It’s sometimes amazing to see what is in your head come to life on the page and then to be able to share it with other people, it’s amazing!”
