What was Smart Alex?
Smart Alex was a creative writing competition for secondary school students (Years 9-13) in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, sponsored by the Friends of the Turnbull Library.
Students explored the Alexander Turnbull Library’s collections using the National Library website to find images that inspired creative written responses including stories, poems, songs, or illustrated pieces in English or te reo Māori.
The original competition ran from 2018-2020 as part of the ATL100 celebrations commemorating the centenary of the Alexander Turnbull Library, which opened its doors to the public on 28 June 1920.
Competition History
2018-2020: The original three-year Smart Alex competition encouraged young people to explore the Library’s collections through the National Library website, finding images that launched their creative imaginations. Over these three years, more than 400 rangatahi from more than 200 schools participated. The 2020 results were announced on 14 September – Alexander Turnbull’s 152nd birthday.
2022: A new Smart Alex competition was launched, coinciding with the release of Te Kupenga digital platform, with students encouraged to use this new tool to explore the Turnbull Library’s collections.
Over the original three-year competition (2018-2020), more than 400 rangatahi from over 200 schools participated. A separate Smart Alex 2022 competition was later launched using the new Te Kupenga platform.
Competition Winners
2022 Results
Coming
2020 Results
Years 9-10 Category:
- Winner: April 26th 2021 – Alexandra (Sasha) Anisimova, Wellington Girls’ College
- Runner-up: Perspective – Max Fale, St Patrick’s College Silverstream
Highly Commended (Years 9-10):
- Trinity Anderson, “Journal entry 398” – Whangarei Girls’ High School
- Jack Campbell, “The Stuff Up” – Francis Douglas Memorial School
- Aston Dow, “Waiting” – Rotorua Lakes High School
- Samuel Leitch, “Summer” – St Patrick’s College Silverstream
- Oshadha Perera, “Evaporating stars” – Southland Boys’ High School
- Saphra Peterson, “Cursed raven” – Home schooled
- Hannah Zhang, “Flower Buds” – Westlake Girls High School
Years 11-13 Category:
- Winner: The potential wasteland – Hunter Haynes, Westlake Boys High School
- Runner-up: Kauri Gum Corpse – Julia Lockerd, Wellington Girls’ College
Highly Commended (Years 11-13):
- Raisa Chugh, “Friction” – Epsom Girls Grammar School
- Susie Ji, “Wandering Soul” – Takapuna Grammar School
- Jennifer Lau, “Half-half” – Epsom Girls Grammar School
- Kowhai Mokaraka, “Hamlet Revised” – Avondale College
- Matt Sellwood, “Tuna Roa and the tīrou” – Wellington College
- Helen Thai, “Transparency” – Aorere College, Papatoetoe
School Library Prize
- Most entries from a school: Francis Douglas Memorial School
The 2020 competition received nearly 120 entries from more than 50 schools. The judging panel consisted of children’s author Eirlys Hunter, Susan Wallace from National Library Services to Schools, and Friends of the Turnbull Library members Elle Green and Rachel Underwood.
Judges noted the “wide range of writing styles, from romantic poems to rap” and that entries drew on personal experiences of COVID-19 as well as climate change, Māori and Pasifika traditions, and social inequality. Eirlys Hunter commented that “The winners and runners-up showed memorable and thought-provoking use of language, handling their subject-matter with remarkable skill and sound judgement.”
2019 Results
Years 9-10 Category:
- Winner: Angel – Stella Weston, Rotorua Lakes High School
- Runner-up: Abandoned – Kayden Leftly, Christchurch Boys High School
Highly Commended (years 9-10)
- Alice Ankersmit, “Undefined” – Waikato Diocesan School for Girls (years 9-10)
- Petulia Cooper-Woodhouse, “A Call to Home” – Wellington Girls College (Years 9-10)
- Tia Deb, “Not Alone, Not Afraid” – Avondale College (Years 9-10)
- Toby Hands, “When the Street Wakes Up” – Wellington College (Years 9-10)
- Rowan Matthew, “Autumn in Arrowtown” – Cashmere High School (years 9-10)
Years 11-13 Category:
- Winner: Children Who Have Never Known War – Victoria Sun, Epsom Girls Grammar
- Runner-up: In Our Foreign Land – Anya Christiansen, Takapuna Grammar School
The judging panel included noted children’s author Eirlys Hunter, Susan Wallace from National Library Services to Schools, and Friends of the Turnbull Library members. Judges praised the “high calibre of entries” and “wide range of creative entries,” with Eirlys Hunter noting the winners showed “memorable and thought-provoking use of language, handling their subject-matter with remarkable skill and sound judgement.” and Susan Wallace noting the stories “offered the reader excellent imagery, with captivating and dramatic narratives.”
2018 Results
Years 9-10 Category:
- Winner: Right side up – Kristen Roxburgh, Selwyn College, Auckland
- Runner-up: The Haircut – Earina Savinelli, Whakatane High School
Years 11-13 Category:
- Winner: Crotchety crochet – Charlotte Boyle, Cashmere High School, Christchurch
- Runner-up: Bȃc sī – Lia Horsley, Hastings Girls High School
The 2018 competition received more than 200 entries across both categories.
Competition Resources
The following documents from the Smart Alex competition are available for download:
The Smart Alex competition was a successful initiative that encouraged hundreds of young New Zealanders to engage with our documentary heritage and develop their creative writing skills. We thank all the students, teachers, and schools who participated over the four years.