Young Writers

Do you want to play with language? Find new ways to express yourself? Make people stop and listen?

Then join our Young Writers’ Group!

Young Writers is a FREE writing group for teens aged between 12 and 18 (school years 8 to 13). Sessions are run by our experienced leaders Shabnam Ahsan and Rachael Rushworth, and consist of writing games, prompts and discussions to inspire you to write and perform in a range of genres and mediums. Our sessions have covered fiction, poetry, world building, songwriting, activism, screenwriting, journalism, playwriting and comedy writing.

You don’t need to be a confident or experienced writer to join – all you needs is an interest in writing and performing! So come along, meet fellow young writers and expand your writing horizons.

To sign up, drop us an email at hello@wordupnorth.org.uk

Meet the group leaders!

Shabnam Ahsan is a writer, teacher, and researcher of literature. She studied English Literature and Modern Languages at university before working as a teacher of English and MFL in the Bradford district. She has also published poetry and short fiction in anthologies by Bradford Libraries and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. Shabnam has facilitated creative writing workshops for adults and young people as part of projects for Leeds2023 and the University of Bradford. She is currently completing a PhD in English Literature from the University of Hertfordshire. Her thesis is on British fairy tale collections and national identity. Shabnam’s research interests include postcolonialism, YA and children’s literature, hybridity and representations of otherness.

Rachael Rushworth is studying Communications at the University of Leeds, she has a background in theatre, both performing on the stage and training young actors. She’s spent much of her life travelling and currently works as a copywriter for a travel company in New Zealand.