From blank page to bestseller: Local students take part in creative writing workshop with successful author
They say that you should either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing… but how about achieving both?
That’s exactly what the students at Washington Academy (part of Consilium Academies) did, and this is a fantastic story indeed.
Hello, Daniel Tawse!
Before the Christmas break, the English Department was fortunate enough to welcome author Daniel Tawse into the academy to meet with some lucky Year 9 and 10 students.
Daniel made a brave move to London to train at the Arts Educational Schools, and spent their twenties performing in various guises. Interesting!
Now in their thirties, they’ve gained an MA in History from Northumbria University, and have started turning their past adventures into stories for a wider audience.
How nice that they took time out of their busy schedule to hold a creative writing workshop for one of our schools. Yes, it’s always delightful when a local legend gives back to the community in this kind of way!
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Creative writing is an incredibly important exercise for children and young people, which is why it’s important we aim to arrange more experiences just like this.
“Developing imagination, building on language skills, and self-expression are all fantastic skills you can evolve with creative writing, and it doesn’t get much better than learning from a successful published author!”
Paving the way for a more inclusive society
Having recently released their latest publication, All About Romance, Daniel also held a book signing at the school that was open to all students.
Through their work, Daniel aims to create authentic queer characters to demonstrate positive and relatable queer voices for all readers.
Victoria Carter, Head Teacher at Washington Academy said: “I want to say a big thank you to Daniel for taking the time to come along to Washington Academy.
“I know all the students really enjoyed taking part in the creative writing workshop and were fascinated to hear some tips from a successful, published author.”
Great work, Daniel and all pupils! Perhaps one day the WHSmith bookshelves will be teeming with work from Washington Academy alumni…
Washington Academy is a Schools North East Partner School. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner Programme, click here.