Teen Gala: Art and Language

I am a 13 year old boy from the Macedon Ranges. I play soccer and guitar and love the Beach Boys. I can’t say I like poetry because I have read all the books and the poets, because I haven’t read any. But what I like is how it can appeal to anyone regardless of experience. I like to have fun w... Read more

Zuva is a passionate young creative, with a keen interest in music, writing and public speaking. Winner of the 2021 Plain English Speaking Award State Final, she is a strong believer in the power of young people to change the world – and the necessity of foregrounding their voices in conversat... Read more

Finnan is a sixteen-year-old born and raised in Melbourne. He is a VCE student, in to music, reading and sport. He was previously shortlisted for the Boroondara Literary Awards, and has a budding interest in fiction writing.

Mason Johns is a year 11 student. He lives in Melbourne with his parents, a tabby cat, and a fluffy dog. When he’s not at school, you might find him training with his athletics club, running with his dog, reading, reading about running or seeing his friends.

Charlie Mackenzie is a 15 year old musical theatre performer, she also writes acoustic folk and rock music. Charlie is in love with 80’s music and grew up with artists like Queen, Stevie Wonder, Tears for Fears and Kate Bush however she takes much inspiration from modern artists like Phoebe Bridge... Read more

Lee Peenfather is a 15-year-old writer and poet from Melbourne. In 2021, Lee became the overall state champion of the OutLoud Slam Poetry Competition with their poem “What Would You Say,” which explored their experience as a queer gender diverse teen. Lee has gone on to perform in multiple Wheel... Read more

Eric Vien is a Year 10 student in Melbourne and has an interest in expressing his thoughts through creative writing. He is the 2021 OutLoud Poetry Slam Champion in the Year 9 to 12 Category with his poem titled ‘I love you’. Alongside this, he enjoys listening to music, shopping with his... Read more

Avery (they/them) is a year 9 student in Melbourne. They have a strong interest in writing and performance, and previously performed in the finals of the 2021 OutLoud Poetry Slam.

Sharon Zhang is an Asian-Australian, Melbourne-based poet and author. Her work has been published by Asian American Writer’s Workshop, Voiceworks, Rust + Moth, and elsewhere. She is a mentee at Adroit and an editor at Polyphony Lit. She is a 2022 Foyle Young Poet of the year and the author of ... Read more