The Young Writers festival, the highlight of the First Story Young Writers programme, kicks off on 24 March 2021. This festival provides a unique opportunity for hundreds of young people from less advantaged backgrounds to engage with a literature festival , often for the first time. Pre-pandemic, staged annually (at Cambridge University), the festival is an inspiring day-long event featuring acclaimed speakers, book signings, readings and writing workshops. For 2021, the festival will become predominantly a free and open access festival online, in a pandemic-necessitated change. From hundreds of students previously attending the festival in Cambridge, this move enables thousands of young writers and readers to access the festival from across the UK and beyond.“We are amazed how many schools have welcomed the festival and registered this year; a day of stimulating creative activity is clearly very welcome at the end of a long challenging term’” said Antonia Byatt, CEO First Story.
First Story partner schools will all take part in live writing workshops with First Story Writers, streamed into their classrooms.
The festival events open to the public are as follows:
24 March Angie Thomas – access will be open until 23 April 2021
24 March Young Writers Showcase, chaired by Dean Atta
From 24 March, all Craft and Technique Resource short events will also be available to watch at any time.
All events can be accessed via the festival site here: https://firststory.org.uk/festival/
Sign up early as a school to the Angie Thomas event and receive free copies of THE HATE YOU GIVE: https://firststory.org.uk/festival/#angie
A limited number of workshops, and a CPD event are for First Story members only.
