UNE 'Regional Day' to illuminate HSC English texts

May 08, 2007

The University of New England is hosting a special community-wide event that will attract Higher School Certificate English students and teachers from the New England and Peel Valley regions.

On Friday the 25th of May a large audience of English teachers and students will be coming to UNE to hear prominent writers, critics and scholars of literature speak on key HSC English texts.

The special invited guest, Peter Skrzynecki, whose Immigrant Chronicle is one of the set poetry texts in the HSC, will give a two-hour lecture on his poetry. Skrzynecki, a graduate of UNE, is now an Associate Professor at the University of Western Sydney. He said that he would discuss the seven poems set for study in relation to the specific topic area "Physical Journeys." He would deal with the "problems associated with undertaking physical journeys and what is learnt from such experiences, and how themes of hope and sacrifice lead us to a better understanding of ourselves and the world," he said.

Other specialists in the field of English Literature and related areas will provide a series of lectures and talks on the many novels, plays and poems set for the 2007 HSC examination.

This will be UNE's first HSC English Regional Day. Its organiser, Dr Suzie Gibson, said its aim was "to not only support students and teachers working towards the HSC English examinations, but also to foster and enhance the teaching and learning of English Literature in the region". "Some of the more remote schools can feel a bit isolated," Dr Gibson said, "and we want them to identify UNE as a place where knowledge and ideas are shared and developed.

"Although the HSC Regional Day is a debut event for the University of New England’s School of English, Communication and Theatre, it is one of many projects through which the School aims to engage in a real and dynamic way with the wider regional community."

For more information on the HSC English Regional Day at UNE, contact Dr Gibson on (02) 6773 3386.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Dr Suzie Gibson with HSC student Sophie Glover.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at May 8, 2007 11:14 AM