That is the experience of former Taree High School student, Aleesah Darlison who put pen to paper at 16-years-of-age to write words that became her first tentative step towards becoming an acclaimed author of children’s literature.

This week Aleesah travelled from Sydney to return to the Manning Valley to share her experience, stories and skill with more than 300 young people in a series of workshops for students of years five and six from nine public primary schools.

It is an education process that was embraced by students of Cundletown, Tinonee, Lansdowne, Upper Lansdowne, Harrington, Hallidays Point, Moorland Public School and Krambach public schools and the knowledge gleaned in the workshops will hopefully inspire them to write a story that could be published in an anthology of youth literature called, “We Are Now. We Are The Future”.

The anthology is being developed by Aleesah in conjunction with Taree Library as a creative concept to mark The International Year of Reading.

Inspiration for the book came from the discovery of an earlier local youth literature anthology called “We Are The Future”. Published in 1988 with $10,000 secured by former Chatham High School student, Ainslee Dennis, and edited by Jenny Summerville, it featured the work of 200 local school students.

Aleesah said she utilises “We Are The Future” in the workshops to inspire the students to see that it is possible to get your work in print, and that it is possible to develop a career from a love of writing.

Indeed, Aleesah had four items in “We Are The Future” and now has 11 published books and a further five in the pipeline.

“It is from little things that big things grow,” Aleesah said.

“By seeing their name in print in a local anthology it will enable young people to see that it is possible to create a career from their love of writing. I was always told it was too hard but you just never know what this process may allow to develop. Future authors may come from this next anthology.”

The simple story that transformed Aleesah’s perspective on writing was a short story, written when she was aged 16 years for a nation-wide competition. She won the competition and $10,000 worth of computer equipment for Taree High School.

“Like many authors, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember,” Aleesah said.

“When I told people I wanted to be a writer they said not to do it! For some reason, I listened to them and studied marketing at uni instead.

“But in the background I was always writing, even when I was working two jobs later on during my twenties. Writing was clearly a suppressed desire of mine.

“My proper job was as a marketing manager in the finance and building industries but it wasn’t until I quit my office job to have children that I thought I would try to make writing a career. I attended workshops, formed writers’ groups and wrote in every spare moment I had. Since then, I haven’t looked back – and I still write every moment that I can!”

Aleesah describes writing as “loads of fun!”

“I love writing scenes and creating characters that will make kids laugh and that they will take to their hearts. I think that’s my number one aim for anything I write,” she said.

Her published and soon to be published books include Puggle’s Problem, Warambi, Litte Good Wolf, Fangs, Bearly There, a series called Totally Twins and another series called Unicorn Riders.