Talented wordsmith
IT'S not every day the Daily Examiner receives an email and phone call from the Department of Education recommending an exceptional Valley student for a story.
So of course we had to meet her.
The student is Briony Moore, a Year six student at Tucabia Public School.
To name just a few of her many talents, the 12-year-old is an accomplished poet, a gifted and passionate student and a trained and focused tight-rope walker.
But it's her literary talents that have cast the spotlight on Briony.
She began writing at a young age.
Briony's mother Leanne said her daughter made up songs and sang them around the house,
But her singing drove her brother crazy, so Briony started writing her songs down instead and a poet was born.
Briony has won many awards, including the poets' brawl at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland.
She first entered the brawl - a competition usually entered by adults - in 2007.
“The poem was only allowed to go for a minute but mine went over,” Briony said.
“But they liked it so much they said I should come back again.”
In 2008 Briony re-entered the competition and won with her poem 'Genwick', a story warning people of a dragon on the loose.
Her poem so impressed the other poets that one dedicated his poem in Briony's honour.
“He said: 'This is dedicated to Briony, who is more than my equal',” she said.
Briony acknowledged she has many poets yet to discover, but for now she ranks Banjo Paterson as one of her favourites.
She finds inspiration from her imagination and real life experiences.
“But most of the time it's quite random,” she said.
“When I get inspired to write poetry, that's when I write the best.”
On top of her school work and poetry, Briony does one research project a week with a North Coast gifted and talented program, practices violin and does Morris Dancing and sewing.
To relax, she has a tight rope wire set up in her backyard.
“It's really good to clear your mind because you can't think of anything else while you're walking,” she said.
Briony has applied for the inaugural selective class at Grafton High School next year.
