Anthologies 2012
Take a sneaky peak at a few of the fantastic covers we have coming through for our 2012 anthologies…
Book Launch Events
In the summer term we look forward to the exciting culmination of this year’s First Story programme – the anthology launch party. Each school rolls out the red carpet for their collective of proud new authors. The events are a wonderful celebration of the creative energy it has taken to produce these books, with students reading their work to friends, family, teachers and guests. We would love for you to join us at any of the events and see first-hand what First Story is all about.
LONDON
Thursday 31 May Burlington Danes Academy, W12 0HR
Wednesday 13 June Islington Arts and Media School, N4 3LS
Monday 2 July George Green’s School, E14 3DW
Wednesday 4 July Queens Park Community School, NW8 0NL
TBC Charles Edward Brooke School, SW9 6UL
Thursday 19 July Pimlico Academy, SW1V 3AT
NOTTINGHAM
Thursday 28 June Nottingham University Samworth Academy, NG8 4HY
OXFORD
Wednesday 20 June Oxford Spires Academy, OX4 2AU
The launch events will be taking place at the schools, beginning late afternoon. To reserve your place please email info@firststory.org.uk and we will also confirm timings once available. For security reasons schools kindly request we supply them with a guest list in advance of the event. Please note launch event dates are subject to change.
Anthologies will be on sale at the schools for £10 each and proceeds will go towards the First Story programme. Light refreshments will be provided.
Tales of the Thames
Writers’ talks at Somerset House
Saturday 19th May, 10.30–18.30
Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA
£7.50 or Day Ticket £25
Tales of the Thames brings together a host of top writers and historians for a special one-off event, delving deep into the riveting history of the capital’s waterway. Andrew Motion opens the day with a reading from his new children’s book Silver; architectural guru Dan Cruickshank introduces the river’s magnificent bridges; Susan Brigden guides us on an imaginary trip down the Thames; Robert Douglas-Fairhurst tells us about ‘The Great Stink’; and Iain Sinclair closes the day with female vocalist MacGillivray.
Visit the Somerset House website to find out more and to book online.
First Story is offering you the chance to win a pair of tickets to Andrew Motion’s opening talk at 10.30am. Please send your contact details to info@firststory.org.uk by Friday 11th May and we will select a winner at random.
First Story Literary Lunches
The First Story Literary Lunches are unique occasions which offer the opportunity to hear Britain’s top authors in conversation, and enjoy lunch with friends and book groups. We are hugely grateful to David Mitchell, Edmund de Waal, John Julius Norwich, Lady Antonia Fraser, Aminatta Forna and P.D. James who have generously given their time and stories to entertain guests at Literary Lunches in London and Oxford. The lunches are in support of First Story’s programme of creative writing workshops for children in challenging social and economic circumstances.
We have no further Literary Lunches planned at present but keep checking our website for new events.
Six-Word Story Competition Winner
Last week we asked you to enter our Six-Word Story Competition and here is the winning entry:
Born in penury, died in luxury.
Well done Andrew Steven!
Stories to make you laugh or cry
Wednesday 29 February 2012
It was a night for passions at the Tabernacle on Wednesday evening. The passion for storytelling, the passion for poetry, and the passion for individuality of voice were celebrated in this very special event organised by Intelligence² in support of First Story. William Fiennes, Founding Director of First Story, kicked the event off with a very personal account of the origins of the charity and how he was blown away by the creative energy he found in an unexpected place. Salena Godden moved between the bittersweet and downright hilarious in her account of growing up black in the harsh terrain of her Northern comprehensive. Then the actor, Sam West, supplied a little RSC magic with a mesmerizing reading of Hamlet’s famous soliloquy. Lemn Sissay exposed a dark chapter in our recent history but commanded laughter along with the tears. Mark Haddon revealed how he breaks from his writing pattern to enjoy a Thames dip three times a week, but when it came to flying he was a fish out of water. The evening culminated with First Story student Mohamed Mardadi’s hypnotic performance of two of his own works, including ‘I Remember’, an account of his first years in England after moving from Africa and the hostility towards the Islamic faith he has encountered since September 11th. His extraordinary rhyming energy earned a rapturous applause. A star is born.
It was a tremendous night for First Story and we would like to thank everyone who supported the event and we hope they took away as many fond memories as we did.
An evening with William Ivory
Thursday 9th February 2012
On a particularly snowy evening on Thursday 9th February, First Story’s first Nottingham fundraiser got off to a fantastic start with the legendary William Ivory. Ivory is one of Britain’s leading screen writers with credits such as Made in Dagenham, The Sins, Common as Muck and the adaptation of D.H Lawrence’s Women in Love.
A harvest of creativity at Somerset House
23rd January 2012
On the 23rd January, a passer-by in the usually noiseless galleries of Somerset House would have been distracted by the audible whirring of a hundred young minds. Creative cogs were going into overdrive as five acclaimed authors used art to ignite the imaginations of these aspiring writers.
This is the second First Story event at Somerset House. The day gathered seven London schools currently participating in the First Story Programme. Students were regrouped and paired with a writer who introduced them to a carefully selected painting which became a fertile platform for a crop of exceptional poems and stories. The variety in the offerings was as impressive as the inventiveness of language. The culmination of the day’s activities was a public reading where students volunteered to share their pieces in front of their classmates, teachers, parents, and First Story supporters.
A Royal Patron for First Story
October 2011
We are delighted to announce that the Duchess of Cornwall has become Patron of First Story.
Katie Waldegrave, Executive Director, First Story, says: ‘It is a great honour to have the Duchess of Cornwall as our Patron. Since we began running our first workshops three years ago, the response from students, teachers and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. With Her Royal Highness’s support, we hope to expand the reach of our activities and help more young people to access the world of books and grow in self-confidence.’
