As part of Write Around the Murray, author Wai Chim will arrive in Albury next week to meet the kids of the Border and inspire them to start writing.
In 1972 a young Chinese man made the difficult decision to leave his friends and life behind and try to escape the Communist regime in his homeland.
In the middle of the night he walked out into the ocean and started swimming – braving distance, the sharks and the punishment he would face if he were to fail – all the way to Hong Kong.
This young man was Wai’s father and one of thousands of China’s young people who took extraordinary risks to find their freedom. His story inspired Wai’s fascinating Young Adult book, Freedom Swimmer. She will read an extract from this at the 6 x 6 Readings event on Friday 7 September at the Albury LibraryMuseum.
Wai draws a lot on her cultural heritage in her books for young readers. Her Chook Chook series, for example, follows Mei, a little girl living on a farm in rural China.
On Saturday 8 September as part of WAM4Kids Wai Chim will be encouraging the budding young writers of the Border to help her tell the popular Chinese fairy tale, The Four Dragons. This is a fun and interactive opportunity to learn about dragons, Chinese culture and how to craft a great story.
For more information on Wai Chim and “The Four Dragons” and other events: https://writearoundthemurray.org.au/
Festival Notes:
Write Around the Murray (WAM) is Albury’s boutique festival of reading, writing, illustration and storytelling. Readers, writers, artists and storytellers gather from across the country to share stories, knowledge and skills as part of a diverse and invigorating program.
