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. It was a day packed with workshops, readings, performances and more. Our 2025 festival was headlined by internationally acclaimed spoken word artist, Steven Camden
Hosted by Ruth Awolola
First Story writer Ruth Awolola warmed up the room and welcomed everyone to the day.
Welcome talks
Dr Bonnie Lander-Johnson, fiction writer, essayist and Shakespeare scholar, warmly welcomed festival attendees to the University.
First Story Alumni Shakira Irfan, now a doctor, spoke about how poetry supports her work in medicine.
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
Festival participants attended two workshops during the day, facilitated by First Story writers.
Young Writers showcase
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, moving, funny, original pieces!
Lunchtime Activities
At lunchtime participants were given tours of Newnham College campus by Student Ambassadors. Plus, there was an expo including a bookstall, participatory Festival poem and book signing session with Steven Camden.
Titles for the lunchtime bookstall were generously donated by CLPE, Penguin Random House, Hachette, Harper Collins, Pan Macmillan, and World of Books.
Quentin Blake Competition
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.
Praise Ariyo from Co-op Academy Grange in Bradford won this year’s Prize with her with her piece ‘My World’.
Festival Poem
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.
The cold was a bit too cold this winter
so open yourself up to sun that burns as brightly as passion.
Open yourself to exploding stars that light up the sky like fireworks
because nothing shines brighter than you, remember.
Nothing shines brighter than you.
Participants feedback
100%
of teachers agreed the festival helped their students enjoy and/or appreciate writing, and also feel more confident to share and talk about their work with others.
94%
of participants agreed that they enjoy and/or appreciate writing more after attending.
96%
of participants would recommend taking part in the Young Writers Festival to other students.
83%
of participants agreed that after attending the festival they are more confident about sharing and talking about their work with others.
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
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
Young Creatives Collective