ALL Stories, the mentorship for under-represented writers will be working with Essex & Thurrock Libraries and Essex Book Festival to deliver creative writing workshops to aspiring authors who are interested in writing for children and young adults, during May 2022.
Catherine Coe of All Stories will be partnering with award winning authors, Patrice Lawrence (who is also patron of the scheme), and Jane Nelson; these are unique opportunities to learn from people working in the industry today – free of charge. (Funding is provided by ALCS, among others. I attach a full press release for the launch of the 2022-23 mentorship’s for further background). The aim – to diversify the representation of authors, and the stories told in books for young people.
Events will take place as below during May, and a later event in July 2022.
Clacton Library Saturday 7th May 2–4pm Patrice Lawrence
Basildon Library Tuesday 10th May 7–9pm Jane Elson
Corringham Library Saturday 14th May 10am–12pm Jane Elson
Grays Library Tuesday 17th May 7–9pm Patrice Lawrence
Belhus Library Thursday 19th May 2–4pm Jane Elson
Harlow Library Saturday 9th July 2–4pm Patrice Lawrence
Each two-hour workshop will give participants a great grounding in the basics of writing for children. The session will cover everything from choosing your readership and concept to developing plot and characterisation, with time for questions.
To register, you must be over 18, reside in the UK and from an underrepresented group (identifying as a person of colour, LGBTQ+, disabled, neurodiverse, working class or socio-economically disadvantaged).
Participants will also get the chance to join a writing group after the workshop in each location, offering further support and an all-important writing community.
On the authors:
Patrice Lawrence is an award-winning writer of fiction both for adults and children. Her books for young adults have won many prizes including the YA Prize, the Waterstones Prize for Older Children’s Fiction, the Crimefest YA Prize twice, the Woman and Home Teen Drama Award and the inaugural Jhalak Prize for Children and Young People. She is the Writer Ambassador for First Story, a young people’s creative writing charity, and the patron of All Stories. She was awarded an MBE for literature in June 2021.
Jane Elson’s books have won many awards including Peters Book of the Year two years running. Her debut novel, A Room Full of Chocolate, was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award and she has twice been nominated for the Carnegie Medal.Jane is loud and proud about her dyslexia and when not writing likes to mentor neurodiverse young people and promote the gift of alternative thinking. She was honoured to be named as one of the top 50 Neurodivergent Women by the platform Women Beyond the Box.
Online workshops are also available. You can find details of the other workshops here.All workshops are free of charge, and tickets can be found via this Eventbrite link, ensuring easy sign ups: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/all-stories-44261697133
