Published: 09 Dec 2015
Scottish Book Trust has today, Wednesday 9 December, announced the names of the ten teenagers who have been recruited to the What’s Your Story? programme to help increase opportunities for young people to access and contribute to literary culture across Scotland.
The group, who represent many different genres of writing, includes a screenwriter, a pair of poets, two non-fiction writers of travelogues and life stories, a novelist and two short story writers. A Gaelic poet and a graphic novelist complete the round-up.
What’s Your Story? is funded by Time to Shine, Creative Scotland’s arts strategy for young people, and is intended to celebrate and nurture the talent and ambition of young writers and illustrators of all backgrounds, connect them with others across the country who hold similar interests, and help them shape the future of literature in Scotland. The support of The Gaelic Books Council has aided this goal through specific provision for a teen participant working in Gaelic.
The first nationwide programme of its kind in Scotland, What’s Your Story? will create a two-day creative writing conference in June 2016, a network of young writers/illustrators groups across Scotland, and an online resource to embolden and support Scotland’s teenage writers. These resources are currently being developed by the ten teen participants, in collaboration with Scottish Book Trust and partners, for their peers throughout Scotland. The teen participants will also be professionally mentored in their chosen forms and genres, and will showcase work completed during their mentorship at the conference in 2016.
The full list of the What’s Your Story? participants is as follows:
The judging team, including two teenage members of Youth Arts Voice Scotland, and representatives from Creative Scotland, The Gaelic Books Council and Scottish Book Trust carefully reviewed 50 entries from around Scotland before selecting the final ten. Participants were selected on the enthusiasm and dedication they expressed for teenage participation in creative and literary culture.
Nicole Brandon, Young Writers Co-ordinator at Scottish Book Trust said: “The enthusiasm for creative writing and illustration shown by our ten teens in the initial weeks of the programme has been both extraordinary and joyous. Their faith in the ability of literature to inspire adventure, empathy and imagination has given What’s Your Story? phenomenal momentum, and we cannot wait to showcase their contributions to Scotland’s literary and creative culture.
“Their passion and conviction only reaffirms that young people have always deserved to be a part of our literary culture as creators and critics – not resigned to a default role as consumers. As access points to that side of our creative culture, Scotland’s literary organisations have a responsibility to help them get involved. It’s our privilege to follow the lead of our teenage participants and create new and fruitful opportunities for them and their peers to connect with each other, grow in confidence and ability, and collaborate to create their own new facet to Scotland’s literary culture.”
Colin Bradie, TTS Programme Manager, Creative Scotland: "We are delighted to be supporting this important initiative that will nurture and celebrate the talents and ambitions of young writers and illustrators across Scotland. A key element of Time to Shine, Scotland's national youth arts strategy this ambitious project will look to ensure young people are playing a key role in inspiring and shaping wider youth engagement."
More information about What’s Your Story? is available at www.thestoryis.co.uk and throughout 2016 at www.scottishbooktrust.com.
Scottish Book Trust is a national charity changing lives through reading and writing. Scottish Book Trust believes that books and reading have the power to change lives. As a national charity, we inspire and support the people of Scotland to read and write for pleasure. http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland.
Time to Shine: Published on 8 November 2013, Scotland's first National Youth Arts Strategy, Time to Shine – which is centred around the three key themes of creating and sustaining engagement; nurturing potential and talent; and developing infrastructure and support - sets out a vision and key recommendations to enable Scotland’s children and young people to flourish and achieve, in and through the arts and creativity. Follow the latest from Time To Shine @TTSYoutharts.
The Gaelic Books Council is the lead organisation with responsibility for supporting Scottish Gaelic authors and publishers, and for raising the profile and reach of Scottish Gaelic Books in Scotland and internationally. http://www.gaelicbooks.org/
