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National Writing Day 2021 #FilltheBox Challenge Highlights

22 July 2021 //  by First Story

The fifth annual National Writing Day took place on 23 June 2021, celebrating the power and pleasure of creative writing. This year’s celebrations took place both online and in schools, to ensure as many people as possible had the opportunity to put pen to paper.

After more than a year of separation, our theme for National Writing Day 2021 was connection. Our #FilltheBox activity challenged participants to write 280 Twitter characters or fill a post-it sized box with a poem, story or letter of connection. #NationalWritingDay trended on Twitter throughout the morning of the 23rd, and more than 500 people and seventy schools engaged with our Fill the Box challenge online. Here we have collated just a few of the incredible submissions we read.

Inspired by our friends @FirstStory , students at @WHSSchool have had some very creative efforts today on the theme of connection to #fillthebox for #NationalWritingDay

Here are some great efforts from Priestley. Amazing work from Nathan and Jacob – very imaginative boys! pic.twitter.com/Ip8bIp6x3u

— WHSS Literacy (@whssliteracy) June 23, 2021

✍ Today is National Writing Day. We hope you enjoy these pieces written by our amazingly talented students! ✍ #nationalwritingday @FirstStory pic.twitter.com/8jrrMb5tpP

— Cardinal Pole (@CardinalPoleRC) June 24, 2021

Although this year’s National Writing Day focused on engaging schools to take part, people of all ages and writing abilities responded to the #FilltheBox Challenge. We saw an array of themes and subjects coming up, from letters to grandparents and celebrations of home and heritage to an exploration of a bug’s life and an ode to WIFI! We soon saw common themes trending in response to our theme of connection, with many participants exploring community, family, renewed freedoms and connecting with the natural world once again. Scrolling through the tagged stories really gave a sense of events and how the nation was feeling.

What follows is only a small sample of the stories and poems tagged on Twitter (though you can read more here.) We haven’t included the many stories shared on Instagram, Facebook, by email and via messaging apps, or the many stories that forgot to include the hashtag.


Community and family

Unsurprisingly, the impact of physically and emotionally reconnecting with family and friends shone through in the #FilltheBox responses. It was also deeply moving to see people responding to the National Writing Challenge with stories of loved ones lost during the pandemic, demonstrating once again the power of creative writing in sharing your story and giving voice to your feelings and experiences.

@FirstStory this is an acrostic poem by my daughter Lottie (age 10) about the ‘Connection’ with her Nanny (my mum) who sadly passed away suddenly in December 2020. Lottie hadn’t seen for a year…then saw her one last time at Christmas. #fillthebox #NationalWritingDay pic.twitter.com/2JubyAOnWP

— Nikki Moore Brougham (@girlgeekchic) June 21, 2021

Happy #NationalWritingDay, everyone! #FillTheBox @FirstStory 😊📝💌 pic.twitter.com/xIIl6NGc6O

— Handwritten Letter (@letterappsoc) June 23, 2021

Some more early drafts from our @sherburnhigh Year 8 poets who are developing their creative writing for #NationalWritingDay #FilltheBox thinking about how we can connect to the people we don’t know but see regularly using our imaginations and poetry @FirstStory pic.twitter.com/CszlACOzhm

— Sherburn English (@SherburnEnglish) June 18, 2021

Happy National Writing Day everyone! I’m joining in the @FirstStory challenge: 280 characters, written on a Post It note, to the theme of connection @womenofwordshul @msmichdee @JessicaFear @HeadlandsSchool pic.twitter.com/OyJV5WU3SH

— Cassandra Parkin (@cassandrajaneuk) June 23, 2021

The natural world

After more than a year and a half of varying degrees of separation from the outside world and those (somewhat repetitive) lockdown walks, it was clear to see from the #FilltheBox responses that writers of all ages were finding connection in nature as they stepped outside.

On National Writing Day, our children have taken inspiration from nature to write some beautiful poems #NationalWritingDay pic.twitter.com/ZB1iXDAz2m

— St Anthony's Dulwich (@StAnthonysSE22) June 23, 2021

#fillthebox #nationalwritingday @FirstStory 🌳 pic.twitter.com/apfWK8yFJN

— NHOE Learning (@nhoelearning) July 2, 2021

Poem by a self-isolating 10 year old. Please big him up and his wonderful newly-qualified teacher. #NationalWritingDay #FilltheBox https://t.co/zCwIWKPLV4

— Kate Clanchy (@KateClanchy1) June 23, 2021

From our Michelle @msmichdee for #NationalWritingDay #fillthebox @FirstStory @cassandrajaneuk @LouiseWriter pic.twitter.com/SJpXdxBJMx

— Women Of Words (@womenofwordshul) June 23, 2021

In-person celebrations!

We can’t describe the pleasure of seeing National Writing Day return to schools. While the importance of digital accessibility can’t be emphasised enough, we’re so glad that students were able to celebrate the power and pleasure of creative writing in person. Some lovely schools were kind enough to share a selection of their students’ writing from the day. Click the posts below to read threads of creative writing from young voices!

Y2 wrote riddles and stories about children in class they admire and feel connected to #FilltheBox #NationalWritingDay @FirstStory #WeExceed pic.twitter.com/AFiq7Gk2z3

— Horton Park Primary (@HortonParkSch) June 23, 2021

Our Year 7 poets have also been writing for #NationalWritingDay #FilltheBox challenge this week @FirstStory @sherburnhigh here’s a selection of some of our favourites pic.twitter.com/Q4uCcs0oSh

— Sherburn English (@SherburnEnglish) June 25, 2021

3-4 with @MsWappler had a great time responding to the #NationalWritingDay prompt ‘connection’. So many interesting ideas and amazing #FillTheBox pieces. pic.twitter.com/S6TECglx9l

— The English Faculty (@MintlawEnglish) June 23, 2021

Fantastic images here. https://t.co/ruOQaPSTsm

— Kate Clanchy (@KateClanchy1) June 23, 2021

These Y8s were experimenting with shape when they took part in the #FilltheBox challenge! #NationalWritingDay @FirstStory pic.twitter.com/la5oJhVgxz

— HHS English (@HHSEnglishDept) June 23, 2021

These snapshots represent only a tiny sample of the volume of creative writing inspired by this year’s National Writing Day. We now cannot wait to do it all again next year—although we can’t imagine what the trending themes will be then!

Category: National Writing Day, News

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