This July, the historic Bromley House Library in Nottingham opened its doors to a group of young writers from The Bulwell Academy for a unique creative writing workshop. Led by acclaimed crime novelist Elly Griffiths, the event brought together ten students from the school’s First Story group for an afternoon of inspiration, imagination, and lots of writing.
After a warm welcome from Bromley House Library’s Development Manager Matt Dolman and Learning and Engagement Officer Heather Green, students met Elly Griffiths, the library’s current President and most borrowed author.
Elly kicked off the workshop with a short reading from her latest novel, The Frozen People, which weaves time travel into a crime narrative. She gave insights into the writing process and even shared an example of one of her earliest pieces, a short story written in her Maths exercise book when she was at school!
During a lively Q&A, students asked Elly about her most successful books, her personal favourites to write, and the publishing process. Elly’s candid responses and encouragement gave the young writers a glimpse into the life of a professional author and the journey of a book from idea to publication. Watch a little snippet of the Q&A below.
The group also took part in tours of the library building. They paused at the Meridian Line, explored the story of Nottingham-born mathematician and physicist George Green, and ventured into the atmospheric Dark Room. Back in the workshop space, students handled artefacts and prompts from the library’s collection, using them as springboards for their own stories.
First Story’s Head of Programmes, Beth Goddard, led the group through a series of writing prompts, inviting students to craft stories involving time travel. They were encouraged to develop a historic character, imagine a unique method of time travel and describe the sensory experience of the journey.
Throughout the session, Elly offered invaluable guidance, helping students think deeply about character development and the power of specific detail.
Finally the young writers gathered to share their work, showcasing an incredible range of stories inspired by the library and its artefacts. One student read the opening of a gripping crime story set within the library’s walls, while another shared a poignant tale from the perspective of a photographer’s model inspired by the Dark Room. Several stories focused on the moment of time travel itself, creatively describing the transformation of everyday objects such as watches and hats into relics of the past.
Elly offered thoughtful feedback on each piece, praising the students’ originality and encouraging them to keep writing. You can watch Elly lead a building characters exercise below.
This event forms part of First Story’s partnership work to develop students’ confidence, access to creative opportunities and cultural capital. A huge thank you to Bromley House Library and Elly Griffiths for making the afternoon possible.
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