The Writers’ Block Young Writers Mentoring Programme offers 10 lucky applicants FREE 1-1 creative writing mentoring, access to 10 monthly creative writing workshops, including online sessions and live masterclasses with published writers, and a chance to share your work. It is aimed at writers aged 11-16, whatever their genre or form.

Funded by the Amazon Literary Foundation, the Young Writers Mentoring Programme will run October 2022 to July 2023. It will include access to 11 creative writing sessions (4 masterclasses and 6 writing workshops), and 4 x one hour long 1-1 mentoring sessions spread over the year. Mentoring sessions will offer a chance to share work and receive feedback, ask questions about areas of writing you are struggling with, discuss your wishes for your future as a writer and how to work toward this, and receive support in producing a piece of work to share at the end of the project.

To apply, answer the following bullet points and email your responses to [email protected]

  • What are your ambitions as a writer?
  • How do you think you would benefit from partaking in this scheme?
  • Send us a sample of some writing from which you are proud of up to one A4 page.
  • Include your name, age, address, and a contact phone number. Please include an email address of a parent or carer.

Deadline for applications is 9am 17 October 2022

Successful applicants will hear back by 27 October 2022

Workshops will run one Saturday a month, except for July when there are two sessions. Young Writers workshops will be run online using zoom 10am-12pm, and Masterclasses will be held in-person 10am-1pm at a Redruth venue tbc.

Successful mentees will be expected to attend all of the 11 workshops, though of course we understand there may be unforeseen circumstances affecting attendance. Please check your availability before applying or mention in your application if there is a date you can’t make.

Due to face to face masterclasses, this programme is only really suitable for young people within 2 hours of Redruth.

12 November – Workshop online
26 November – Poetry Masterclass with Rebecca Tantony
10 December – Online Workshop
7 January – Online Workshop
11 February – Journalism Masterclass with Leo Devine
11 March – Online Workshop
8 April – Online Workshop
20 May – Screenwriting Masterclass with Brett Harvey
10 June – Online Workshop
8 July – Writing for the Internet Masterclass with Jacob Little
29 July –  Online Workshop

September 2023 date TBA – There will be a sharing event where The Story Republic will perform your stories.

November 2023 date TBA – Taking part in the Lowender Peran Youth Celebration.

Our Young writers workshops are run by Cornish writers Olivia Lowry and Casey Bottono. They are a relaxed environment to meet fellow writers, practice your writing and find your voice. These workshops involve quick creative writing exercises and opportunities for writing longer pieces. Each session has a different theme, decided in response to the group’s wishes.

Masterclasses are led by published writers based in Cornwall and offer a chance to meet professional writers and learn from them skills of writing in their style and ask questions. Click on the writers names to read more about the workshop leaders.