Where were you on the 25th May 2022? Some of us were lucky enough to be in the Pleasance Theatre Edinburgh for the Young Writers, Young Voices event. Truly a night to remember!
2022 is Scotland’s Year of Stories and it was under this banner that the SPA premiered new works from the pupils of Halyrude Primary (Peebles), Wardie Primary (Edinburgh), Dunfermline High (Dunfermline), Broughton High (Edinburgh) and Tynecastle High (Edinburgh). One by one, young people took to the stage to share their writing, ably supported by those who’ve turned story telling into their profession – author Ian Rankin and comedian Craig Hill.
From slam poetry to penguin fans, fashion adventures to pen pals and insect wars, the audience marvelled at the imagination and creativity, as well as the bravery of the young authors who had put their ideas on paper. Their achievements made the teachers, headteachers, family and friends who’d come to watch them, swell with pride and the two hours flew past in a wave of cheers and applause.
This was a night full of positive energy, tangibly proving the power of writing and its impact as a means of communication, not just on the writers themselves but on everyone involved in the process that got those words on the page. The schools who trusted us to join their classes, the volunteers who listened and encouraged or edited or illustrated the books ready for print. The parents and supporters who helped build confidence in the young writers, spurring them on to surprise themselves with their talents. The fundraisers enabling the work to expand beyond Edinburgh borders and ensure that money shouldn’t be a barrier to education. As the proverb says, “it takes a village to raise a child.”
The SPA now works with 18 schools and output from those workshops has resulted in 27 books – each representing a young person’s thoughts, feelings and aspirations at that moment in time. One of the first books, The Leithers Guide to Leith, is now in the permanent collection of the National Library of Scotland. Two of our books can now be purchased on Amazon:
Broughton Street and Beyond by pupils at Drummond Community High School
What If? World History According to Leith Academy
*Pictured: Megan, a pupil from Drummond Community High School reading her piece from the book We Got Told to Write a Book published in 2020.