First Story and Driver Youth Trust have together moved into the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. As our three organisations share space, resources and ideas, we look forward to building an …
News
Exclusive interview with Juno Dawson
Juno Dawson is a best-selling author of YA fiction, a successful journalist with bylines in publications from Glamour magazine to The Guardian, a former teacher who specialised in PSHCE and …
Announcing our 2019-20 Rathbones Folio Mentees
We’re delighted to announce the four First Story programme graduates from our 2018-19 cohort chosen to participate in the third year of the Rathbones Folio Mentorships programme. The Folio …
Durham Commission report: a catalyst for change?
The Durham Commission on Creativity and Education report, a collaborative research project between Durham University and Arts Council England, is a 96 page deep dive into why and how creativity should …
PGCert in Teaching Creative Writing is a life-changing opportunity
Developing teachers' confidence and skill to practice and teach creative writing is central to our mission. One of the ways we support teachers' professional development is through our partnership …
First Story alumni in Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2019
The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is the biggest poetry competition in the world for 11–17 year olds. Organised by the Poetry Society, and this year judged by First Story favourites Jackie Kay …
First Story at BBC Contains Strong Language festival
Contains Strong Language is the UK’s biggest annual poetry and performance festival. Over three days the BBC festival stages some 30 events in the city of Hull, with leading poets and world-class …
Multi-year grant from PHF to fund programme pilot
First Story is excited to embark on a three-year pilot project funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. We’ve received a More and Better grant of £244,000 from the foundation which specifically funds …
Reflecting on my first summer with First Story
Fittingly, my first day as First Story's new Chief Executive was also National Writing Day. And what an inspiring day it was. My first stop on 26th June was to the Museum of Migration in Lambeth, …
The First Story Summer Residential 2019
In twenty acres of steep woodland overlooking a Pennine valley sits Lumb Bank, an impressive eighteenth-century millowner's house that once belonged to Ted Hughes. For six days in July, Lumb Bank was …
Picket Line Poetry in Hull
To celebrate National Writing Day 2019, First Story East Yorkshire collaborated with local partners to put on a packed day of activities culminating in an original event, 'Picket Line Poetry'. …
Why learning to use your voice is powerful
It is a quite a coincidence that National Writing Day is my first day in the job as CEO of First Story, the lead organisation behind the campaign. When I tell people I will be working in an …
The Fault in Our Stories
Every anthology that we publish includes an introduction by the school's Writer-in-Residence. This one is an excellent example, written by Mashuda Snaith to introduces the 2019 anthology by students …
#Merky Books Collaboration
Curated by Stormzy, #Merky Books is a home for a new generation of voices. An imprint of Penguin Random House UK, #Merky is dedicated to publishing the best new fiction, non-fiction and poetry. It …
100-Word Story 2018 Winners
Now in its fifth year, our 100-Word Story competition is open to all First Story students, aged 11-18. Entries can be prose or poetry and can be on any theme. Judged by Vintage, the competition gives …
Creative Writing in Schools: Recommendations
In 2015 First Story received a Creative Writing in Schools grant of £600,000 from Arts Council England, alongside our fellow creative writing organisation, Paper Nations. We were thrilled …
Robert Webb will present our BBC Radio 4 Appeal
We are thrilled to announce that Robert Webb, actor and author of the wonderful, important, and number one bestselling book How Not To Be a Boy, will be presenting a charity appeal on behalf of First …
Imaru Lewis at YWF18
Imaru Lewis is a graduate of our intensive Writer-in-Residence programme from Highgate Wood school in London. We invited him back in 2018 to speak at First Story's Young Writers’ Festival. His …
YWF18 Highlights
In 2018 First Story's annual Young Writers’ Festival was held for the first time in partnership with the University of Cambridge. We welcomed over 330 students to the new venue, from schools across …
100-Word Story 2017 Winners
First Story and Vintage are delighted to announce the winner of the 2017-18 First Story 100-Word Story Competition. Armed with only 100 words, First Story students have come up with some stunning …
YWF17 Highlights
In 2017 we were excited to trial a special dual-site Young Writers' Festival. We returned to Oxford University's Lady Margaret Hall College, and also premiered at the University of Hull, as a part of …
First Story has partnered with the BBC
The BBC recently announced First Story and the University of Cambridge as the new partners for its short story awards, in a three-year collaboration starting in 2018. First Story will support the …
New research shows that arts projects can help narrow the achievement gap
New research, funded by Arts Council England’s Creative Writing in Schools Strategic Fund, shows that arts projects can help reduce the gap in academic achievement between rich and poor …
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall celebrates her 70th birthday in style
Literacy-focused charities and organisations, including us, have celebrated Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall’s upcoming 70th birthday by giving 70 primary schools across the UK a set of 70 …
