Writing Workshops with Will Kostakis!
Will Kostakis is an award-winning author for young adults. As a high school student, Will won Sydney Morning Herald Young Writer of the Year for a collection of short stories. Will signed his first book deal in high school. Loathing Lola was released when he was just nineteen. His contemporary novels, The First Third and The Sidekicks, warmed (then broke) hearts the world over.
An advocate for young readers and writers, Will was awarded the 2020 Maurice Saxby Award by the School Library Association of New South Wales for service to children’s and young adult literature.
We Could Be Something is his latest novel. It’s a humorous yet heart-rending looks at family, fame and falling in love. He’s been at it fifteen years, but his mum insists it’s just a phase and any day now, he’ll pursue a real career.
Will is delivering two workshops for Yarra Plenty Regional Library for aspiring young writers:
Eltham Library:
As part of Midsumma and in partnership with Nillumbik Shire Council, Will shares his tips and tricks for bringing queer experiences to life on the page.
Writing Queer Experiences Workshop, Wednesday 31 January, 6pm—8pm at Eltham Library.
Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub:
Will is delivering a writing workshop for young adult writers in celebration of Library Lovers Day. Focusing on developing engaging short stories and crafting character voice with collaborative exercises, this workshop aims to make writing and editing less intimidating.
Library Lovers: Writing Workshop, Thursday 15 February, 4.30pm—6.30pm at Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub.
Check out Will’s books available in our collection:
We Could be Something
Harvey's dads are splitting up. It's been on the cards for a while, but it's still sudden. Woken-by-his-father-to-catch-a-red-eye sudden. Now he's restarting his life in a new city, living above a cafe with the extended Greek family he barely knows. Sotiris is a rising star. At seventeen, he's already achieved his dream of publishing a novel. When his career falters, a cute, wise-cracking bookseller named Jem upends his world. Harvey and Sotiris's stories converge on the same street in Darlinghurst, in this beautifully heartfelt novel about how our dreams shape us, and what they cost us.
![The Sidekicks [electronic resource]](/media/dlme52jo/the-sidekicks-audio.jpg)
The Sidekicks
The Swimmer. The Rebel. The Nerd. All Ryan, Harley and Miles had in common was Isaac. They lived different lives, had different interests and kept different secrets. But they shared the same best friend. They were sidekicks. And now that Isaac's gone, what does that make them?
The Greatest Hit
People look at Tessa and see her biggest mistake. While everyone else her age is taking their bold first steps into adulthood, she's just trying to outrun a song that went viral when she was fourteen. But now - an opportunity. A profile as one of The Five Most Forgettable Internet Celebrities of the Decade So Far gives her the chance to right a wrong, and the courage to sing her greatest hit as it was originally written. But will it be enough to win back the person she hurt?
Monuments
All sixteen-year-old Connor is trying to do is avoid his ex-best friend when he stumbles upon a trapdoor to a secret chamber under his school. But when Sally Rodgers breaks into the same secret chamber looking for an ancient being, things take an unexpected turn. Along with the mysterious Sally and his new friend Locky, Connor discovers the Monuments - gods who have been buried for generations, who created the world and hid themselves away from humanity to keep everyone safe. But now they're exposed and vulnerable, and Connor isn't sure who, himself included, can be trusted with the knowledge and the power these gods have.