Ilkley Lit Fest Young Writers Group

Do you enjoy writing poems, stories, songs – anything? Are you even secretly writing a novel? Would you like to be able to meet other teenagers who enjoy writing or take part in special workshops with writers away from school? If so we’d like to hear from you.

Ilkley Literature Festival runs a weekly group for young writers aged 13 to 17, on Mondays during term-time. The group is based in Ilkley and any young writers from the Bradford, Skipton, Ilkley, Wharfe valley and Leeds areas are welcome to come along.

The sessions run from 6.30pm to 8pm and cost £1 per session. You’ll be expected to come to all sessions in a term (unless of course you are ill or on a school visit) and there will be a mixture of short story writing, script writing, writing poetry and learning how to read your work effectively with tutors Becky Cherriman and Michelle Scally Clarke.

For full details and/or to book a place contact: info@ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk

Latest News

Stanza Stones Showcase by Sam Fletcher, Ilkley Young Writers

On Saturday 17th March Ilkley Young Writers attended a mass showing of the work that those involved with the Stanza Stones project had been doing (we are involved in this project and so we ourselves would perform our poetry). We arrived at the Northern School of Contemporary Arts full of anticipation. Up until now, we had seen the work of a dance group and other poetry groups but not on this scale. Finally we would be able to glimpse the standard and immense talent of other artists involved in the project. We werent disappointed. As we watched the dancers, filmmakers and fellow poets perform, it was clear that we would be performing alongside some very talented artists. The dancers added flair, energy and excitement to the proceedings, with each group bringing something different (whether that be energetic street dance or flowing and precise interpretive dance). The films were also great- each film displayed originality and creativity and were all thoroughly entertaining and often intriguing. As for the other poets, they were brilliant. As poets ourselves, we could appreciate the craftsmanship, care and creativity that had gone into each poem. With this level of talent in the room, it was hard not to feel slightly nervous when it came to our performance (despite being told emphatically not to compare ourselves with anyone else). However, as it came to our time to perform, it all felt into place well. Some of us performed solo, with everyone involved in at least one group piece. The group pieces in particular worked really well, with the movements we had planned adding something different to the poetry. All in all, we left feeling excited by the whole experience. We had seen how the Stanza Stones project was coming together, and it was looking really good. Now we can’t wait for the final showcase in June!

Young People’s Anthology

In 2011 the young writers group ut together their first online anthology. Here is the result of their gard work:

 

Places to send your work

Cadaverine

Submit your work – poetry, fiction, non-fiction, argument, criticism - to Cadaverine, the on-line magazine for young writers under 25. Find all the details at www.thecadaverine.com.

Pomegranate

Send your poems to Pomegranate  ‘a free UK-based poetry ezine showing off the freshest poetry we can find’ run by young people aged 16- 21.
Pomegranate poets, bloggers and writers are mostly students in secondary school or at uni, and all under 30.
www.pomegranate.me.uk

NAWE Young Writers’ Hub

The NAWE Young Writers’ Hub helps writers aged between 16 and 25 develop audiences, support their work and find out what’s going on across the UK. The Hub offers internships, advocacy, an enabling fund, advice and book review and blogging opportunities.  See http://www.nawe.co.uk/young-writers-hub.html for more information.

The Foyle Young Poets Competition

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is Britain’s most prestigious poetry prize for young writers between the ages of 11-17.
Each year the Poetry Society looks for a hundred of the best young poets in the UK and beyond, as well as some of the most active poetry schools with special prizes for both 11 to 14 and 15 to 17 year olds.
The closing date each year is 31st July.

You can enter poems written in class, or poems you’ve written at home, from exercises or from your own imaginings!

You can enter poems on any theme, and of any length, and in any shape you like.

Entry is free and you can enter as many poems as you like.

You’ll need to be aged 11-17 on or before the closing date in order to enter.

Prizes:

• Fifteen overall winners aged 11-17, including up to three international winners, will have their poems printed in the winners’ anthology
• Five 11-14 year olds will win a short residency to their school by a leading poet
• Fifteen 15-17 year old winners will attend a week-long residential course at one of the prestigious Arvon Centres

Go to www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/fyp/ for all the details.

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