Community Writing Labs
From 2021-23, I ran three Community Writing Labs for Ministry of Stories, an incredible writing centre
(hidden behind a secret door in Hoxton Street Monster Supplies) which helps young people in east
London discover their confidence, imagination and potential through the power of their writing. I worked
with 8-12 year olds on all sorts of projects – from zines to postcards from the future to poems about
unsung heroes. The projects all came from the young people’s ideas, and I was endlessly inspired by them.
My Hero is Nothing Like the Movie Heroes
We spent a term thinking about heroes – the unsung, the everyday, and the personal. I loved hearing about the people who were important to the young writers, and I was so touched and inspired by their poems. We put it all together in an exhibtion at Autograph Gallery – there were poems about mothers and best friends, football G.O.A.T.s and firm-but-fair teachers, super-strong superheroes and ancient doctors.
Never forget everyone is a hero. Everyone has a little kindness in them.
Heja
The Time Travellers Guide to Hoxton
In my first term running the Writing Labs, we journed to future Hoxton – from just a few years in the future to thousands of years ahead – and wrote postcards back to the present to describe what we found. Some of my favourite bits were toilet drones in shops, and statues in the community garden which appear according to your mood (a pink crocodile means you’re happy, in case you ever need to know).
As I walked into the huge hall of friendship, everything stopped. Everybody stared at me. A huge tentacle struck out of my body and grabbed a group of people…
Nico
Time to Write: Zine Fairs
Every year one term is dedicated to supporting the young writers with their own individual projects. I introduced the idea of finishing of this term with a zine fair – I’m a zinester myself and I wanted to show the young writers to the freedom and joy of being able to create your own publication to share. The young writers loved creating something that was completely theirs from start to finish, and the joyful chaos of selling their zines (for tokens) at the fair was so much fun.
How to make a playground anywhere: just go to a place and say ‘playground’ and it’s a playground.
Ola
Ha Ha Hackney
During this term, I laughed so much every single session – we wrote puns and comic poetry, did stand up, created sketches, and turned them all into a film. The premiere was at the local cinema, with a red carpet and goody bags for everyone.
A shoe broke and then commited murder. When the cops came to arrest them, they said, wow you’re soleless.
Tenar
The Night the Day was Broken
This project was managed by my incredible colleague Jessica Randall, and created by her 11-15s group – they came up with a fully-playable escape room! My 8-12 year old writers contributed mysterious riddles and gave voice to some of the objects in the room.
I really wanted the young people to get a sense that they could create a world that people could enjoy and inhabit.
Jessica Randall
School Projects
As well as running the Community Writing Labs, I work with Ministry of Stories on their
projects in schools. From one off Gothic Fiction workshops inspired by Hoxton Street
Monster Supplies (which, due to an unfortunate curse, is forever linked to the writing
centre), to term-long clubs exploring particular kinds of writing, I work with Ministry
of Stories to support young people to explore their courage and imagination.
Blue Sparks Sizzling
In 2020 I ran an after school club at Morpeth School, with Ben Jonson Primary School, focused on fictional diary writing. We turned their writing into a brilliant anthology – Blue Sparks Sizzling. We did half of this project in the first COVID-19 lockdown, and you can hear some of them read their stories in our online launch video above.
From hearing absolute silence
Ismeel
to hearing the most
colourful fireworks pop.
The Shadow Within
In 2021 – still in lockdown and via email, video and worksheets – I ran a Gothic storytelling club for students at Bishop Challoner School. Lily Ash Sakula and I created an illustrated workbook full of tips and activities, and the Ministry’s amazing volunteer mentors and I supported the young people through ten weeks of imagining and writing. The result was The Shadow Within, and Other Tales – a thrilling and chilling collection of stories, including conflicted vampires, zombie hunters, and a sorrowful spider hybrid. I was so impressed with what they managed to create in the midst of the pandemic.
You Need to Have a Reason for Summoning Me
In 2022-3, I ran an after school fantasy fiction writing club, again at Morpeth School. I read a lot of fantasy myself, and I really enjoyed jumping into it with the young writers – creating magic systems and magical worlds, developing characters grappling with the consequences of magic, and creating our own TTRPG to explore. Every young writer had a whole world in their head, and every week I looked forward to finding out what magic would happen next. The resulting anthology You Need to Have a Reason for Summoning Me, includes some spectacular stories.
All of the adults involved in the club were consistently astonished by the originality and imagination of the students, and the way in which they worked together, whether quiet and focused or rambunctious and shrieking with laughter.
Amy Fletcher, Deputy Head of Morpeth English Department
Linden K McMahon 