Korowa students took creativity to new heights in this year’s Write a Book in a Day competition, an initiative that challenges imagination while raising vital funds for childhood cancer research.
What Write a Book in a Day involves
The Write a Book in a Day competition is a fast-paced, collaborative challenge. Teams of students have just 12 hours to write, illustrate, and submit a complete story. Each team is given a unique set of characters, a setting, an issue, and five random words that must appear in the final book. This creates a level playing field across the country and ensures every story is fresh, surprising, and unique.
Importantly, the competition is about more than creativity. Entry fees and donations directly support The Kids’ Cancer Project, funding vital research into childhood cancer. The completed books are then made available through the charity’s online library, providing comfort, inspiration, and entertainment to children in hospitals across Australia.
Korowa’s record participation in Write a Book in a Day
This year, under the guidance of Julie Beer, Korowa recorded its largest involvement to date. Seventy-five students from Years 7 to 10 formed nine teams, each embracing the challenge with energy and determination. While some students have competed before, others were taking on the challenge for the very first time; yet this mix of experience only strengthened their collective effort.
The day was intense. With the clock ticking, students brainstormed ideas, plotted storylines, drafted chapters, edited text, and created illustrations. Some preferred the feel of pencil and paper, while others used digital tools such as iPads. Every contribution mattered, and by the final deadline, each team had produced a complete, original book. IT was an extraordinary achievement in just 12 hours.
A day of learning and leadership
Beyond the stories themselves, the competition demanded resilience, creativity, and teamwork. Students discovered the importance of time management, problem-solving, and collaboration, often experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions as ideas shifted and deadlines loomed. Yet they persevered—snacks at the ready, energy high, and spirits strong.
Julie Beer reflected on the event:
“This competition is a fun, creative, and collaborative highlight of the Korowa calendar. It’s incredible to see students take on such a demanding challenge and work together so effectively. Every voice counts, and every idea matters.”
More than winning
Competition results will be announced in October but for Korowa students the true reward lies elsewhere. Completing a book from scratch in a single day is a triumph in itself. To know that their work will be shared with children in hospitals, offering them stories made by kids for kids, gives the competition its deepest meaning.
As one of Korowa’s most anticipated annual events, the Write a Book in a Day competition continues to inspire creativity, foster teamwork, and remind us all of the power of stories to connect and heal.
