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 students.You …
News
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 …
Make your voice heard as a First Story Ambassador
We're looking for 15 First Story graduates to shape what we do – how we can make First Story a better experience and how we can shout about what we do. This is a great opportunity to have your voice …
The Folio Academy Mentorship Scheme needs you
How does a one-year mentorship with an acclaimed author from the Folio Academy sound? They’ll offer you one-to-one guidance and advice on a writing project. Learn from a creative writing master. Get …
The Young Writers’ Festival 2016 Headliners Announced!
We are hugely excited to announce that award-winning writers Naomi Alderman, Laura Dockrill, Anthony McGowan and Dave Rudden will be joining First Story at this year’s …
Become a Cheltenham Festivals Writer-in-Residence
Cheltenham Festivals is a charitable organisation that champions up-and-coming talent, celebrates established artists and commissions unique performances. As a part of their inspirational educational …
First Story is now a member of The Fair Education Alliance
The Fair Education Alliance is a progressive coalition of organisations from across charities, businesses and education, all working together to fight educational inequality. The FEA is committed to …
The Bookseller reports on the ‘substantial impact’ of First Story
‘In the late Barry Hines’ novel Kes — so memorably adapted for the big screen in 1969 by Ken Loach — there is a scene in which the young hero, Billy Casper, stands at the front of the class …
The winner of our Letters Live Six-Word Story Competition
A big thank you to all those who entered the Six-Word Story Competition that First Story ran at Letters Live – there was a delightful array of funny, moving and clever entries that we hugely enjoyed …
A 5 minute interview with William Fiennes
The London Book Fair caught up with our co-founder, William Fiennes, for a short interview to mark First Story being selected as The London Book Fair’s charity of the year.We've reproduced the …
First Story Young Writers in a Ted Hughes Prize shorlisted poem
A huge congratulations to former First Story Writer-in-Residence Kate Clanchy, who has been shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Prize for New Work in Poetry 2015. Kate has been shortlisted …
First Story is London Book Fair’s Charity of the Year
We are so pleased to announce that First Story has been chosen as London Book Fair’s Charity of the year. We’re really looking forward to being part of one of the most exciting events in the …
Our 100-Word Story Competition Winners are in The Bookseller
The winners of this year's First Story’s 100-Word Story Competition, judged by Vintage Books, have been featured in The Bookseller. This is just one more way to give them a huge congratualtions. …
100-Word Story 2015 Winners
The judges at Vintage Publishing were hugely impressed with the inventiveness and creativity of all entries, and after a long deliberation process we are excited to announce the overall winner and the …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
