Join Brooke Blurton and Dr Melanie Saward for a creative writing and drawing school holiday activity at the National Library.
In this hands-on creative workshop, young writers and storytellers will be inspired by the incredible work of youth advocate and media personality Brooke Blurton and author and academic Melanie Saward. Their brand new YA series, beginning with A Good Kind of Trouble explores truth-telling, culture and sexuality through the story of Noongar teenager and footy player, Jamie.
Participants will be encouraged to think about how they will bring their own stories and characters to life and learn tips and creative techniques to take their writing to the next level.
This activity is suitable for young people between the ages of 13 and 17 years of age. All drawing and writing materials will be supplied.
Tickets cost $15 per participant and bookings are essential.
Contact the National Libary’s Indigenous Engagement team at indigenousengagement@nla.gov.au if you would like to apply for a free First Nations place.
About Brooke Blurton
Brooke Blurton is a proud Noongar-Yamatji [noong-ar yamatji] woman whose journey is one of deep strength, resilience, and purpose.
Brooke’s childhood was shaped by loss, hardship, and instability. She lost her mother to suicide at a young age and grew up in an environment impacted by trauma, grief and substance abuse. These early experiences could have defined her, but instead they fuelled her drive to create change.
Now, as a youth worker, advocate and speaker, Brooke channels her lived experience into action. She works with young people who’ve faced the kinds of challenges many turn away from, including homelessness, foster care, school exclusion and intergenerational trauma.
What makes Brooke’s work so powerful is her ability to meet people exactly where they are – with empathy, honesty and cultural understanding. Whether through community programs, conversations or storytelling, she creates spaces for healing, learning and connection, especially when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.
Brooke is a reminder that healing isn’t linear and leadership doesn’t always come from textbooks – sometimes, it comes from lived experience, and the courage to turn pain into purpose.
She’s also a published author, releasing her deeply personal memoir Big Love at just 27 years old, and recently co-authoring a coming-of-age fiction for teens, A Good Kind of Trouble, with the sequel due out next year. Brooke is the Boarding Coordinator at the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, where she supports Indigenous students from remote and rural communities as they transition into city life for education.
She’s a proud dog mum, a fierce advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, and continues to use her voice and platform to champion equity, identity, and belonging, especially for young people finding their way in the world.
About Dr Melanie Saward
Dr Melanie Saward is a proud Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman. She is a writer, editor, and academic based in Tulmur (Ipswich), Queensland. She’s the author of 2 novels, Burn and Love Unleashed, and has co-written a new book for young adults with Brooke Blurton called A Good Kind of Trouble. She is the coordinator of BlackWords at the University of Queensland and lectures in writing and Australian studies.
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