Scotland’s top teen creatives presented their latest work at a showcase in Edinburgh this week. Scottish Book Trust partnered with Neu! Reekie! to present the work of the What’s Your Story? ambassadors.
This year the programme worked with seven Scottish teenagers, picked to develop their talents in creative writing or illustration, and involved them in building the teen literary scene in Scotland. The teens, aged 14-17, were selected from all over Scotland.
Nathan Ezra-Jackson, from Edinburgh (above), presented a story called ‘Off the Rails’. He said : “Overall What’s Your Story? was a great experience. I met writers my age from all over Scotland, and I got to work with a professional writer as my mentor. It was a great experience and I’d really recommend it.”
Sheena MacGregor, also from Edinburgh, read from the Gaelic novel she is working on: ““What’s Your Story? has completely changed the way I think about writing and myself. I had given up on the idea of being an author because I didn’t think that was the sort of thing that could happen to people like me. Knowing that there are people out there that believe in you really makes the whole experience worthwhile. It really makes you believe in yourself so much more.”
The event was held at the National Library of Scotland, whose collections are open to the young writers and illustrators to aid research for their own creative work.
Neu! Reekie! guided the teens through the process of programming live events and advised them on how to bring their work to life. The showcase included performances, theatre, an illustration installation and live music. Stina Tweeddale, from Glasgow-based band Honeyblood, was a guest performer. An invited audience including friends of the What’s Your Story? ambassadors and representatives from Scotland’s literary scene attended the showcase, which marked the end of their time with the programme.
What’s Your Story? was originally funded by Time to Shine, Creative Scotland’s national youth arts strategy and is the first nationwide programme of its kind in Scotland. It celebrates and nurtures the talent and ambition of young writers and illustrators of all backgrounds, connecting them with others across the country and helping them shape the future of writing in Scotland. This year the programme was funded by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund other generous supporters, including the Gaelic Books Council, who fund a Gaelic-language place.
The teen’s year with What’s Your Story? included a residency in the National Library of Scotland, professional mentoring, a creative retreat, programming the teens creative writing conference StoryCon, and the feature showcase event.
Applications are currently open to take part in next year’s What’s Your Story? programme, which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Young Start programme. It is free to apply for and take part in, and interested 14 to 17 year olds from all over Scotland are encouraged to apply. Travel expenses will be covered for all participants.
Any young writers or illustrators who are interested in taking part in the What’s Your Story? programme should visit www.thestoryis.co.uk for more details. Closing date for applications is Monday 16 October.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The What’s Your Story? showcase demonstrated the enthusiasm and creativity of the Scottish teenagers that took part in the second year of the programme. We were delighted to work with Neu! Reekie! to bring the work of these young people to life. The event marks the end of their time with What’s Your Story? but the beginning of an exciting journey into the world of writing and illustration.”
Michael Pedersen of Neu! Reekie! said: “One of our primary objectives is keeping an eye on the future of Scottish literature. We spend a lot of time looking around for new writers, young writers, writer that are evolving out of genres or boundaries they have worked in before. Working with the ambassadors of What’s Your Story? we were happy to get the high quality of literature to sculpt into this showcase. Without a shadow of a doubt, the future of Scottish literature is in solid and sustainable hands.”
Picture: Kat Gollock
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