The Christchurch School for Young Writers continues to produce quality collections of writing by some extremely talented young people from all over New Zealand. The Polar Bear Ward is the seventh in the Re-Draft competitions and series of books and it’s heartening to see the “virtuousity and variety” of these poems and stories by pupils from Year 9 to Year 13.
These young writers have produced creative, intelligent and exciting work across a wide range of themes; much of it quite dark but with some lighter moments. Curmudgeons who despair for the future of the English language should be cheered by the skill on display here – creative writing is not only alive, it’s being done well.
