Author Jeremy Page helps pupils at Morpeth Secondary get their stories in print
Some of the pupils in Morpeth's 'Absolutely Write!' anthology project with their writer-in-residence Jeremy Page - Credit: Morpeth Secondary
Author Jeremy Page has helped 11 pupils at Morpeth Secondary in London’s East End get their creative writing into print.
Five of the yountgsters performed their work to a packed audience when the school in Bethnal Green hosted the annual Readings Aloud event for the second year.
Pupils from Year-8 to Sixthform involved in the project presented their work from the Absolutely Write! anthology created with the help of Morpeth’s writer-in-residence.
Their stories are now printed in the anthology’s second volume. These include five performed on stage on July 8 to an audience of teachers, parents and pupils—a philosophical contemplation on the nature of dreams and lies, a slice of dystopian fantasy, a man tempted by the Devil, strange goings-on at a magical boarding-school and a murder mystery with a comic twist.
The project was piloted last year as an idea by Head teacher Jemima Reilly and developed by Head or Year-12 Sam Smith.
“One of Sam’s tutors from his Creative Writing MA delivered insets on strategies for teaching creative writing,” explained the Head.
“It was such a positive experience on staff that we wondered if it was something we could build on for our pupils.”
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So it was aimed at youngsters with a passion for writing to have an input from a real author and ultimately have their work published.
Morpeth’s writer-in-residence Jeremy Page ran six workshops throughout the year and a performance workshop hosted by voice coach Gabriela Blandy, where pupils learnt how best to perform their work to a live audience.
