First Story holds two annual festivals for young writes, bringing schools from across our regions together for a day of creativity. In 2026, these will be at Lowry, Salford and the University of Cambridge, .
The 2025 Young Writers Festival at the University of Cambridge and the inaugural Young Writers Festival North at Manchester Metropolitan University were both jam packed days of workshops, readings, performances and more! Read highlights below.
Highlights from the Young Writers Festival 2025
at the University of Cambridge
On 2 April 2025, 260 First Story participants from across England came together at the University of Cambridge, to take part in our annual Young Writers Festival.
First Story writer Ruth Awolola welcomed everyone to the day. Shakira Irfan (First Story alumni, now a doctor) and Dr Bonnie Lander-Johnson (Writer and Downing College Fellow)gave welcome talks. Shakira spoke about how poetry supports her work in medicine.
I liked the fact that it was very welcoming which made me feel more safe and confident. I also liked the fact that we were given opportunities to share our pieces of writing and opinions.
Festival participant
Headlined by Steven Camden
In conversation with First Story panelists.
Steven Camden, aka Polarbear, an internationally acclaimed spoken word artist from Smethwick in the West Midlands. He has been writing, performing and sharing his stories for nearly twenty years and won the CLiPPA Award for his debut collection, Everything All at Once (Macmillan Children’s Books) in 2019. He writes novels, plays, screenplays and poems celebrating his mixed heritage and the amazing people he grew up around.
Writing Workshops and Young Writers Showcase
Festival participants attended two different group writing workshops during the day, facilitated by First Story writers, in a variety of impressive settings in the Faculty of English.
At lunchtime participants were given tours of Newnham College campus by Student Ambassadors. Plus, there was a buzzy expo which included a bookstall, participatory festival poem, stalls from Hachette and the BBC, and a book signing with Steven Camden
The festival culminated with everyone returning to the main hall for a showcase of the day’s best writing. Students took to the mic and performed their work. We heard so many inspiring, funny, original pieces!
In the afternoon, the winner of our Quentin Blake Competition was announced. This unique creative writing competition is exclusively open to students who attend Festival. The day concluded with First Story writer Maria Ferguson reading out the collaborative Festival Poem that had been created by Festival attendees at the lunchtime tombola.
Highlights from the Young Writers Festival North 2025
at the Manchester Metropolitan University
On 3 June 2025, First Story participants from Bradford, Manchester and Rochdale came together at Manchester Metropolitan University, to take part in our first ever Young Writers Festival North.
I liked the fact that it was very welcoming which made me feel more safe and confident. I also liked the fact that we were given opportunities to share our pieces of writing and opinions.
Festival participant
Headlined by Danielle Jawando
In conversation with host David Scott.
Award winning YA writer and fellow Mancunian, Danielle Jawando headlined the day. Sharing her inspiring journey into writing, reading from her bold novel, When Our Worlds Collided and staying around to sign books and chat more to our young writers over lunch.
Writing Workshops and Young Writers Showcase
Festival participants took part in two workshops that not only deepened their craft and skill, but also developed their performance skills ready for the afternoon showcase. Split across a range of seminar rooms across the building, students got a taste of university life as they worked on their words whilst overlooking the bustling streets of Manchester.
At lunchtime participants were given tours of MMU campus by Student Ambassadors, alongside visiting our vibrant expo that not only hosted our famous bookstall and festival tombola but also invited local youth led organisations to come and share their offer with our enthusiastic young writers. Partners included Young Identity, Zuntold, Youth Leads and Harper North.
The festival culminated with everyone returning to the theatre space for a showcase of the day’s writing. Rounding off our showcase, host David Scott shared the day’s original poem created by all the young writers taken from the lunchtime tombola poem, and what poem read in Manchester would be complete without mentioning the rain!
Feedback from participants
It helps young people to understand things which may not be taught in school, such as what being a writer is like, life at university, and techniques to write.
Festival participant
96%
of participants would recommend taking part in the Young Writers Festival to other students.
94%
of participants agreed that they enjoy and/or appreciate writing more after attending.
We got to express ourselves and not be limited!
Festival participant
We could present our poems to other people who share the same interests as us.
Festival participant
83%
of participants agreed that after attending the festival they are more confident about sharing their ideas through writing.
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