Creative writing charity for young people
In its fifth year, the Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships scheme pairs six talented First Story alumni with acclaimed writers from the Folio Academy, receiving a year of 1:1 mentoring support to further develop their writing craft.
Announcing: Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships 2021/22Read More
Watch clips from this summer’s virtual showcase event, which celebrated new writing by five First Story alumni, chosen to be Rathbones Folio Prize Mentees in 2020/21.
WATCH: Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships 2020-21 ShowcaseRead More
The ongoing pandemic meant our annual summer residential course had to be delivered virtually for a second year — and we smashed it again!
Summer 2021 residential highlights: another digital successRead More
Watch exclusive clips from this summer’s virtual showcase event, which celebrated new writing by five First Story alumni, chosen to be Rathbones Folio Prize Mentees in 2019/20.
WATCH: Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships 2019/20 ShowcaseRead More
Our new Young Ambassadors Programme is an exciting supported volunteering opportunity for alumni keen to continue their engagement with creative writing. It puts young people at the heart of promoting creative writing within their schools and local communities.
In its fourth year, the Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships scheme pairs four talented First Story alumni with acclaimed writers from the Folio Academy, receiving a year of 1:1 mentoring support to further develop their writing craft.
Announcing: Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships 2020/21Read More
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, this summer, our annual residential programme took place virtually. With participants connecting entirely online, we managed to maintain almost all of the key elements that make this project so special and impactful.
First Story alumni can apply until the 31 July 2020 to take part in the 20/21 Rathbones Folio Mentorships programme, for a chance to work for a year with an acclaimed pro author. Two of this year’s mentees, Mariamah Davey and Nidaa Raoof, share their reasons to get involved.
In the week leading up to this year’s National Writing Day on 24 June, we invited two former First Story students from West Yorkshire, Henna Ravjibhai (17) and Sophie Crabtree (19), to take over our Instagram account — as a platform to share their experiences as young writers, and hopefully inspire other young people to practice writing creatively too.
Henna Ravjibhai talks First Story, working with Joe Dunthorne, and writing on the bus to college.
In December 2019, First Story alumna Chloe Holland was invited to BBC Broadcasting House in London for an interview with Katie Thistleton on Radio 1’s Life Hacks show – and she smashed it! Listen to her podcast here.
In its third year, the Rathbones Folio Mentorships programme is an invaluable opportunity for four talented First Story graduates to be paired with four accomplished writers from the Folio Academy.
