Our 14-19s groups meet once a fortnight for 2-hour workshops during term time on a weekday (usually from 5-7pm). Come and build your confidence, be creative and meet others with like-minded interests. You can join any time. (We also run projects for aged 14 up to 30 from time to time including a Poetry Collective for 17-30s and fiction projects too).
“I love how relaxed it is! Ideal if you’re socially awkward like me haha (and dyslexic), although my confidence has grown tons and I’ve made some great friends from the group too.”
Who & what are our groups for?
We welcome young people of all interests, abilities and backgrounds who enjoy any form of writing. You don’t have to think you’re a great writer to join, you just need an interest in writing and a willingness to try new things. Our groups are about sparking ideas and exploring the power of words through creative writing exercises and techniques and not about spelling and grammar. They’re also about being a fun part of a young writers’ community and the opportunities that come with it.
We attract plenty of shy and talkative people to the groups. Everyone is welcoming, accepting and supportive of each other. You can find out what past members of our groups have to say in interviews here (bear in mind these are young people who have been in the network a long time or have left so they might seem quite confident/old!)
At our groups:
Writing successes
Members of our groups have been published widely, and won poetry slams and writing competitions and awards such as Foyle Young Poet of the Year, New Poets Prize, the BBC Young Writers’ Award, Ledbury Poetry competition, Wales Young Poet Award and the Young Northern Writers Award. Some have performed with top poets including Benjamin Zephaniah, Buddy Wakefield, and Hollie McNish, or interviewed a favourite author such as Malorie Blackman. Some have gone on to study writing at university or taken their writing further with a whole range of exciting opportunities. Membership of one of our groups has been something to feel proud of on uni statements and CVs. And we’re pretty sure, all long-term members would agree that the skills and qualities they developed from coming to a writing group have helped support their journey into adult life. You can find some of your celebrated young writers here.
Still not sure? Listen to young writers tell you how they got involved here.