Teacher, librarian, mother, team coordinator, Write a Book in a Day winner. Bernadette Nye has taken on many roles in her life, but throughout, Australia’s most inspiring writing challenge has remained a constant.
A high school teacher based at Western Australia’s Bullsbrook College, Nye’s first foray into Write a Book in a Day came with entering the Open category with a group of friends, writing the masterpiece Took. It was the first time she and her friends had ever written together, and they managed to take home the National Best Book title!
“Writing Took is a core memory,” she says.
“It’s a little bit about magic and a bit about not growing up too fast. It reminds me not to take life too seriously, and to notice the beauty in small things.
Writing days with Hail and Well Met always end in dumplings during the final read through.”
As an English teacher, writing naturally has a special place in Nye’s heart.
After hearing about Write a Book in a Day at a library conference, she decided to bring it to Bullsbrook. The secondary college has since entered teams into the competition the past nine years, with Nye coordinating groups as small as seven writers and as large as 85.
She’s got a few tips on what to do, ensuring that writers have defined roles before the big day and access to whiteboards, bringing brain food and making sure all the chapters are outlined for all to see!
As an English teacher, writing naturally has a special place in Nye’s heart.
After hearing about Write a Book in a Day at a library conference, she decided to bring it to Bullsbrook. The secondary college has since entered teams into the competition the past nine years, with Nye coordinating groups as small as seven writers and as large as 85.
She’s got a few tips on what to do, ensuring that writers have defined roles before the big day and access to whiteboards, bringing brain food and making sure all the chapters are outlined for all to see!
In a full circle moment, Nye got to facilitate her ten-year-old daughter’s team over the school holidays, which she describes as ‘a joy to watch’.
“I am in awe of primary school teachers! I have been a high school teacher in 2003. I’ve learned that ten-year-olds are… energetic!”
The Hail and Well Met team unfortunately had a connection to childhood cancer, with one of the writers tragically losing a small child to cancer, who Took was dedicated to. Nye believes that empathy and good competition come naturally to kids, which makes Write a Book in a Day the perfect competition!
“I think the writers and artists enjoy the challenge of watching their fundraising dollars grow and feel great about seeing what the money will go towards,” she says.
“I have helped to raise thousands over the decade I’ve been involved in Write a Book in a Day. That’s a beautiful thing. I’m optimistic that we will see a cure one day. There’s so much good in WABIAD. I think everyone should give it a go.
