ABE Nouk has a way with words.
Whether it is his written expression in a poem or sharing a yarn about his take on life, Mr Nouk makes quite an impression.
His way with words struck a chord with a group of Kerang Technical High School literature students.
Not so much that his poetic words are imaginative, which they are, but it is not long ago that Abe Nouk had no knowledge of the English language.
The Sudanese refugee arrived in Melbourne with his mother and siblings in 2004. His love affair with words grew after he was taught to read and write.
Mr Nouk was one of three writers involved in the Lit in the Sticks writers’ festival at KTHS, the brainchild of school library manager, Natalie Rose, who piggy-backed off the major Bendigo Writers’ Festival to attract the visitors.
He has twice won the Victorian slam poetry competition. A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work, which is either judged by the audience or a panel of judges.
Ms Rose said that she recognised students’ enthusiasm for literature after a visit by playwright Ned Manning last year.
“Regional students don’t get enough opportunities to learn from such celebrated writers,” she said.
“Students have many opportunities in sport and I wanted to create something special in literature,” she said.
Claire Saxby, author of Meet the Anzacs and Lizzie Flynn, taught students to turn historical research into stories and Tiger Stone author, Deryn Mansell conducted zine-making workshops. Zines are self published materials with short print runs.
Mr Nouk performed work from his slam poetry collection, Humble, and shared his experience as a refugee. He has also written Dear Child about the birth of his niece.
He had a disarming manner of relating the trauma of leaving his homeland and the stigma of being a refugee.
Relating to his experiences, one of his written and verbal themes about his life was “that’s just the way it is.”
“Accept what it is to live; learn to forgive yourself,” he said.
