Young writer's work lauded

English may be Yin Lin's second language, but it hasn't stopped the Columba College pupil from achieving success in her fourth national writing competition this year.

The Taiwanese 17-year-old has had three pieces of writing (a poem and two short stories) selected for publication as part of the annual School for Young Writers 2010 Re-draft Competition.

Each entrant can submit up to three poems or short stories, and Yin was only the second young writer in the competition's 10-year-history to have all three submissions selected.

School for Young Writers director and competition co-ordinator Glyn Strange said the quality of the entries was very high.

"This achievement is the literary equivalent of being chosen to captain a national sporting team.

"Yin takes a leading place among 40 of New Zealand's best young writers."

She was one of three young Dunedin writers to have their work published. The other two were University of Otago second-year student Lewanna Pentecost, who had a poem selected, and first-year student Nicole Phillipson, who had two poems selected.

This year's publication of Re-draft, titled The World's Steepest Street, is due out later this month.

Earlier this year, Yin was one of three New Zealand secondary pupils to receive writing mentoring from a leading New Zealand author in a competition run by the New Zealand Society of Authors.

She also received a special commendation from the New Zealand Poetry Society for a haiku she wrote, and made the top 10 list of secondary school pupils in the Sunday Star Times short story competition.

"It's quite overwhelming. I have no idea how I've done it.

"I think it's because I've lived half my life in Taiwan and I've got the best of both cultures. I find it easier to see things from a foreigner's point of view when I'm writing about New Zealand life - and vice versa."

Despite her success, Yin has no plans to become a professional writer and hopes to study health sciences or law.