Heritage newspaper competition

Young secondary school pupils will have the opportunity to embrace both Otago's early history and celebrate our literary heritage during the summer holidays by recreating an early 20th-century newspaper.

All budding young journalists in years 9 and 10 are to be given an opportunity to look back in time to 1909 and create a newspaper of the day - the Otago Former Times.

Written work could include advertisements of the era, poetry in the style of Charles Brasch or news reports on events such as Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expeditionary party or the arrival of the motorised fire engine in Dunedin.

Columba College English teacher and New Zealand author of young adults literature Tania Roxborogh said the project fitted the school curriculum perfectly and she anticipated its local historical relevance would generate great interest from pupils.

"It's a great end-of-year activity. I'm sure other schools will be keen to participate, especially as the creative output will be recognised during the Heritage Festival," she said.

The project has been initiated by the Dunedin Heritage Festival and entries will be judged by Otago Daily Times editor Murray Kirkness, who will be looking for a writing style appropriate for the era.

The winning newspaper will receive a prize and the best newspaper entries will be exhibited in the Skeggs Gallery during the festival.

Final entries must be submitted by March 10, 2009, but leading up to that time, a newsfeed blog where pupils can submit articles, will be live at www.megabrite.co.nz

This website will also host online resources available for both teachers and pupils for the project.

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