First Stories

July 2010

First Story Six Word Story Competition

We're thrilled to announce the winners of the six word story competition:

Winner:'Went to shops. Won lottery. Sorted.' Jordan Joseph Wildman

Runner-up: 'Kissed me. Kissed another. Pulled trigger.' Ivanilza da Mata

Runner-up: 'Did the right thing. Was wrong.' Chloe Collins

First Story Director William Fiennes said of the winning entry, ‘There's something formally so satisfying about the three sentences: three words, two words, one word...’ Congratulations to these students and all of the students who entered – there were so many great entries. We’re thrilled to see what everyone produced.

May 2010

First Story Fundraising Dinner, 10th May 2010

The First Story fundraising dinner and auction was held at Café Anglais in London on 10th May 2010.

The evening was extremely successful and we raised over £45,000. We are enormously grateful to all those who donated, and to everyone who came.

Students from several schools read work from the First Story anthologies and talked about the programme, giving truly excellent performances which made a huge impression on all those who attended. We were also thrilled to have Alain de Botton talking about the value of First Story’s work.

We would like to extend a massive thank you to our brilliant fundraising committee and all our supporters. Click here for pictures of the event.

Alain de Botton to speak at fundraiser, 10th May 2010

First Story has confirmed that Alain de Botton will be the featured guest at its second annual fundraising dinner, to be held at Café Anglais on 10th May 2010. Alongside de Botton, First Story students will read from work produced over the past year.

Last year’s fundraising dinner and auction, also held at Café Anglais, was a tremendous success, with over £45,000 raised to support our programmes. The generous donations and overwhelming support enabled us to expand into fourteen schools for 2009–10.

We are incredibly grateful to all who attended and for the dedicated efforts of our stellar fundraising committee in staging the event.

April 2010

First Story Introduces Fee-Paying Workshops: Get Writing for a Good Cause

This spring, First Story will begin offering fee-paying writing courses. Students and adults will have the opportunity to work with First Story writers. All proceeds will support the First Story programme in ‘challenging’ schools.

The first session will be open to students aged 14–18 and will be held on the 17th–18th April at St. Paul's Girls School. Click here to see the flyer.

March 2010

First Story at Somerset House

On Monday, 22nd March 2010, First Story students and writers joined Romesh Gunesekera, First Story author and Writer-in-Residence at Somerset House, for a special afternoon of workshops. Romesh and other First Story writers introduced students to a painting in the Courtauld Gallery in the hopes that the work would inspire the students in their own writing - to outstanding results. The day culminated in a reading of the work created during the day with students from each group sharing their work.

First Story at the Oxford Literary Festival

We are delighted that First Story students participated in a successful panel hosted by the Royal Society of Literature and the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival. For the second year, the panel discussion chaired by Philip Pullman was an incredible success with students reading their work that will appear in anthologies in the early summer months.. First story students, teachers and writers then participate in a discussion about their work and the First Story programme.

December 2009

First Story authors of all ages have been having a successful winter. Jack Appleton, aged 15, is to have his poem ‘Some People’ (Click here to read) published in the Royal Society of Literature Review in January 2010. First Story founding director, William Fiennes, has been short-listed for the Costa Biography Award. Mayowa Sofekun, aged 15, was short-listed for Citibank’s Nationwide Short Story Competition (Click here to read), and Lizzie Mundell-Perkins was the overall winner of the same competition (Click here to read). Kate Clanchy won the BBC’s 2009 National Short Story Award. Fourteen students had their micro-stories turned into First Story postcards, and Romesh Gunesekera was appointed writer-in-residence at Somerset House.

October 2009

On 1st October 2009, First Story and Holland Park School held a reading and drinks reception to celebrate the publication of the latest anthologies and the launch of the programme in fourteeen schools. Many thanks to all of those who came and made the event such a great success.

September 2009

In September 2009, First Story expanded into six new schools. This brought number of schools we work in to fourteen. Eleven of these are in London, three in Oxford.

July 2009

In July 2009, the Arvon Foundation hosted sixteen First Story students on a week-long residential writing course at John Osborne's house in Shropshire. The course was a huge success.

One student said: 'Visiting the countryside was a new experience for me, I've never done anything like it. It made me realise that in the city I am quite insular. I don't usually meet new people, but this trip broke down barriers and I have made a lot of friends and also created another anthology.'

Some of the writing produced by the students during the week can be seen in their anthology, Tree Spotting, which is available here

Spring/Summer 2009

All eight schools held tremendously successful book launches. Many congratulations to the First Story authors and all who have helped them. To order copies of the anthologies please contact info@firststory.co.uk

April 2009

First Story Fundraising Dinner

First Story held a fundraising dinner and auction at Café Anglais in London on 27th April 2009.

We are enormously grateful to all those who came and to those who donated so generously. The evening was a great success and over £ 45,000 was raised.

We were delighted that both Boris Johnson and Sophie Dahl were able to attend to speak about why they believe in First Story's importance. The real stars of the evening, however, were the students who read a sample of their writing and deeply impressed all 190 guests.

Many thanks to our tremendous fundraising committee and all our supporters.

First Story at the Oxford Literary Festival

The Royal Society of Literature and the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival hosted a panel chaired by Philip Pullman on 2nd April 2009. First Story students read some of their stories and discussed the rewards and difficulties of writing with Pullman and the audience. Our thanks to all those who helped organise this event.

February 2009

Mark Haddon talks to First Story Students

All First Story students were invited to a very successful Q and A session with Mark Haddon. Our thanks to him for what was a truly wonderful evening.

January 2009

University Success

Two of the students in the first ever First Story group have received offers from Cambridge University, our congratulations to them. They were only the third and fourth students ever to receive Oxbridge places in their school's history.

December 2008

Ofsted Report Praises First Story

'This is the second year of a published author's "residency" during which he inspires writing by sixth formers under the aegis of an organization, First Story set up by a former teacher at the school. The scheme has become established in a wide range of schools and Cranford is a thriving base at which attendance is high and mutual appreciation is constructively critical. Students were deeply motivated to explore and appreciate their memories and emotional development through autobiography and other genres. An editorial committee is planning the next printed anthology. I greatly enjoyed the stories in the first one.' Ofsted Report Dec 2009

'This is a very worthwhile project and in the course of my other work with schools I will be happy to recommend it. Well done!' Independent Education Consultant, December 2008.

First Story Fifty-Word Story Competition

Congratulations to the winners of the 2008 Fifty-Word Story Competition:

Nadia Bennett, Burlington Danes Academy
Jack McSweeney, Holland Park Comprehensive
Fatima Kried, Harris Academy, Bermondsey
Daniel Williams, Highbury Grove School
Sophie Wolfson, Highgate Wood School
Avan Mufti, Quintin Kynaston School
Igor Mongala, Islington Arts and Media School
Ahmed Mohamoud, Cranford Community College

The stories have all been printed on First Story Postcards.

'This is a very worthwhile project and in the course of my other work with schools I will be happy to recommend it. Well done!' Independent Education Consultant, December 2008.

November 2008

Monica Ali visits First Story Students

First Story at Harris Academy, Bermondsey were visited by Monica Ali, award-winning author of Brick Lane. Our thanks to Monica for her time and support.

September 2008

First Story Launch Event

On 25th September a launch party was held to celebrate the publication of our first anthology, On A Wednesday, and the launch of First Story workshops in eight London schools.

The event was a great success. It was wonderful to see teachers, writers, publishers, students and so many others meeting one another and talking about writing. We are incredibly grateful to all who came whether in the capacity of a supporter, donor or volunteer. Our particular thanks to Lord Adonis and Bhavin Bhatt for their speeches.

• For all enquiries contact: info@firststory.co.uk
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• Registered Charity No: 1122939