Join with the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature in celebrating the centenary of The School Magazine
Was The School Magazine (formerly The NSW School Magazine) a part of your childhood? Or are you a teacher whose children currently receive it? You might be surprised to know that it is celebrating its centenary this year. It is the longest continuously published magazine in Australia and the creators, whose work filled its pages over all that time, are some of our best children’s authors and illustrators. Through reading the School Magazine children are introduced to the best in children’s literature and many become lifelong readers as a result.
In the very early days The NSW School Magazine was eagerly anticipated because it was the main source of reading for many children. Today, therefore, there are people in their eighties who remember it. We see this at the Centre whenever visitors spot our almost full run. People love telling us the stories they remember and how much they meant to them. Frequently they want to find these stories and relive the experience of when they first read them.
We are inviting everyone for whom The School Magazine is, or was, a part of their childhood reading, to send us a few words about what the Magazine means or meant to them. We want to hear from young people who are current readers. But we want to hear too from people who read it, perhaps, up to 70 or more years ago. These memories are a part of the School Magazine’s own story. They will provide a unique glimpse of the impact the Magazine had on generations of children. We want to ensure they are not lost.
From these stories we will create a single story about the Magazine and its impact. We aim to have it ready for The School Magazine’s own celebration in early August and publish it on the Centre’s website.
How can you help? We want you to tell us: - what you most enjoyed about the School Magazine – up to about 300 words;
- when you read it;
- what school you attended at the time; and
- what else made the School Magazine memorable for you.
If you are a teacher whose children currently read it please encourage them to tell us what they like about it.
As a rule individual names will not be published. The cut-off date for the stories is 15 April.
Send your story via email to Trish Milne at schoolmagstory@gmail.com or to the
National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature, University of Canberra ACT 2601.
We also need your help to spread the word about this project. Please forward this to anyone you know who also read the Magazine: work colleagues, parents, grandparents, friends, young people – and invite them to participate. Importantly, ask them too to forward the details on to others so we spread the invitation far and wide.
Trish Milne |
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