Our first competition of the academic year, the Six Word Story competition is a challenge in concise storytelling. Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's famous six word story "For sale: baby shoes, never …
100 Word Story Competition now open for 2023
Could your students write a captivating story in just 100 words? Judged by literary experts at Vintage, our 100 Word Story Competition is now open to all students at First Story partner …
Announcing: Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships 2022/23
We are now in the sixth year of our partnership with the prestigious Rathbones Folio Prize, through which talented First Story students benefit from working one-to-one with an acclaimed writer from …
Passing the Parcel at The Portico Library
First Story and The Writing Squad came together to highlight opportunities available for young writers in Greater Manchester in a taster session hosted by The Portico Library. Through a set of …
Summer residential 2022 highlights
First Story's annual summer residential provides an incredible opportunity for a small number of Young Writers Programme participants who have shown great promise during the academic year. Students …
Folio mentorships 2022 showcase
The Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships scheme gives talented First Story alumni the opportunity to be mentored for one year by experienced, acclaimed writers from the Folio Academy. On a hot summer …
Eco-poetry competition winners 2022
The environment is a frequent focus in the creative writing produced by First Story participants. Every year the contents of our published anthologies demonstrate how much young people care about the …
Pilot of First Story’s new CPD course for teachers, ‘Think Like a Writer’
Supporting teachers has always been an important part of First Story's work. Through our flagship Young Writers Programme, we freely share creative writing classroom resources with our partner …
Young Writers Festival 2022 highlights
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First Story Young Writers Festival 2022 – a writer’s perspective
I first attended the Young Writers Festival in Cambridge in 2019, the year before the cliché of the solitary writer became a reality for everyone, even people who aren’t writers. Not only was it my …
100 Word Story Competition Winners 2022
The entries for this year's 100-Word Story Competition were as vibrant and thought provoking as ever. We were completely blown away by the creativity and craft of the young writers who took …
First Story partners with Goldsmiths University to further the careers of emerging young writers
“Working with First Story has been a beautiful life experience” In 2021 First Story were thrilled to partner with Goldsmiths University once again, offering a student completing an MA in Creative …
Tracy Chevalier announced as First Story Ambassador
Best selling novelist Tracy Chevalier is the latest high profile writer to support First Story as an Ambassador. She joins the celebrated YA author Patrice Lawrence MBE in the role, to help champion …
First Story Writer-in-Residence, Cecilia Knapp wins Ruth Rendell Award
First Story Writer-in-Residence, Cecilia Knapp has won the 2021 Ruth Rendell Award, which honours the author or writer who has had the most significant influence on literacy in the UK over the past …
Six Word Story 2021 shortlist and winners announced
The 2021/22 academic year got off with a bang thanks to our annual Six Word Story Competition. Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's six word story, we challenge our young writers to entice us in just six …
FIVE First Story bursaries for PGCert at University of Cambridge
This is the fourth year that First Story will be collaborating with the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education to help educators share the power of creative writing. Open to …
Patrice Lawrence MBE announced as First Story Ambassador
Carnegie Medal nominee, Patrice Lawrence MBE has been announced as Ambassador for First Story, England’s leading creative writing charity for young people. Lawrence will champion First Story’s mission …
Young writers exploring higher education through Connect events
Held during the autumn term, our region-specific Connect events are designed to connect young writers with each other and with local education and cultural opportunities where they live. Each event is …
Young Writers Festival 2021 Highlights
First Story's Young Writers Festival is an annual celebration of writing for, and by young people. For the first time in First Story history, 2021's celebrations took place entirely online, with …
Passing the virtual baton: corporate fundraising success
In September 2021 marketing localization agency, Wordbank approached First Story with an idea: to raise donations for our Young Writers Programme through fun, collaborative activities with their team. …
Announcing: Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships 2021/22
This is the fifth year of our partnership with the prestigious Rathbones Folio Prize, through which talented First Story students benefit from working one-to-one with an acclaimed writer from the …
WATCH: Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships 2020-21 Showcase
Now in its fifth year, our exclusive partnership with the Rathbones Folio Prize offers a unique opportunity for talented First Story alumni to be mentored for an academic year by five acclaimed Folio …
Patrice Lawrence MBE announced as First Story Ambassador
Carnegie Medal nominee, Patrice Lawrence MBE has been announced as Ambassador for First Story, England’s leading creative writing charity for young people. Lawrence will champion First Story’s mission …
Summer 2021 residential highlights: another digital success
Our annual summer residential programme is usually hosted at Lumb Bank, Arvon's idyllic venue in rural West Yorkshire. The pandemic kept us away for a second consecutive year. But after last year's …
