In the spring edition of the RSL Review, our Interim Executive Director, Emily Webb, talked about our enriching partnership with the Royal Society of Literature, and explains why First Story’s work is …
The First Story Residential Anthology 2015
The First Story Residential Anthology 2015 has finally arrived. It is bursting with the voices of the amazing 78 students who spent a week writing on the First Story Summer Residential Course at …
First Story awarded major Arts Council England grant
We're delighted to announce we have been awarded a Creative Writing in Schools grant for £600,000 by Arts Council England, to expand our current national creative writing programme in the North and …
What’s it like at the Residential?
During our 2015 summer residential programme, at the Arvon centre in Shropshire, we interviewed First Story students about their experience of participating in the programme. They talked about the …
Patrick Ness and Sally Green to headline Young Writers’ Festival 2015
We are very excited to announce that award-winning authors Patrick Ness and Sally Green will feature as guest speakers at the First Story Young Writers’ Festival, on Wednesday 16th and Thursday …
The Sunday Times publishes our young writers’ work
The overall winning poem in our First Story National Writing Competition has been published in The Sunday Times paper and online, celebrating the achievements of the winner Mukahang Limbu from Oxford …
‘Writing can be a source not just of pleasure but of power’
The following article originally appeared on The Sunday Times online and can be viewed here. The biscuit girl’s tale makes us all crumbleA charity is using writing classes to help children find their …
First Story National Writing Competition prize giving ceremony
First Story’s National Writing Competition public talk and prize giving ceremony will be held as part of LSE’s Literary FestivalDate: Monday 9 March …
First Story National Writing Competition longlist announced
We had a record number of entries from state secondary schools across the country all responding to the theme of ‘Home’. We feel truly privileged to have received and read so many entries of …
The First Story Residential Anthology 2014
We are very proud to present the First Story Residential Anthology 2014. It has been carefully compiled from all the pieces our First Story students wrote and read out loud with such aplomb at this …
Young Writers’ Festival 2014
What an exciting month for First Story. Last week we launched the 2014-2015 programme with our Young Writers’ Festival 2014 – two days of inspirational talks and creative-writing wonders. 1,000 …
First Story and Cheltenham Festivals
First Story is very excited to announce that for the first time we are entering into a partnership with Cheltenham Festivals to run First Story residencies in three schools in Gloucestershire. We will …
First Story young writers are finalists in the John Betjeman poetry competition
We are so incredibly proud to announce that two of our First Story students are among the three finalists in the 2014 John Betjeman Poetry Competition for Young People! The competition, open to …
First Story’s Fundraising Auction
Fancy a collection of Usborne books, a dinner at celebrated restaurant Le Café Anglais, a private shopping experience at Amanda Wakeley's new shop or seeing your name in print in one of Michael …
Creative writing afternoon at UCL museums and collections
On a rainy day in January, First Story and University College London combined forces to hold a creative-writing afternoon for six London secondary schools. Working with acclaimed First Story writers, …
First Story young writers dominate COMPAS Poetry Competition
First Story were incredibly excited to learn that not one but, six students at First Story school Oxford Spires Academy, were shortlisted for the COMPAS ‘Poetry on the Move’ …
A literary discussion hosted by First Story and the RSL
Silver Spoons: can you write without one?CHAIR: Jonathan DimblebyPANEL: Alan Johnson, Stephen Kelman, Kate Fox, Salena GoddenThis event has now taken place. Click here to listen to a recording of the …
Thank you Give a Book
Huge thanks to Give a Book for donating one book for each student participating in First Story at our forty schools. We made a big push to get as many books to students in December 2013, so they had …
Literary lunch with Frances Osborne
We are thrilled to announce our next literary lunch will feature best-selling author Frances Osborne in conversation with Susannah Herbert. Frances will talk about her life and work, including her …
Malorie Blackman on the importance of reading
In July, as part of the Royal Society of Literature Outreach Programme, Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman paid a visit to First Story school, Skinners’ Academy. Listen here to an exclusive …
The First Story Young Writers’ Festival 2013
We are thrilled to report on our third annual Young Writers’ Festival. Taking place on Thursday 19 September at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, 700 students from First Story schools across the country …
Words and Wickets
Celebrating cricket and literature’s unique relationship, Words and Wickets, the first ever cricket literary festival, is being held at Wormsley Cricket Ground on Saturday September 7, 2013. Sponsored …
Literary Lunch with John O’Farrell
This Literary Lunch will feature British author and comedy scriptwriter, John O’Farrell. John will be speaking about 25 years of comedy writing, from aspiring radio sketch writer, to penning jokes for …
The First Story Summer Residential 2013
Nettlecombe Court, a 16th century estate on the fringes of Exmoor National Park, provided a spectacular setting for our summer residential in July. Sixty talented First Story students from …
