Saint Paul’s have been working with inspirational Young Shakespeares to develop the creative writing skills of their pupils culminating in a creative writing competition.
The competition followed a series of fun and engaging lessons from Zahid Hussain from Young Shakespeares. The sessions combine a love of stories and word games to bridge the space between the imagination and the blank white page. The brief was to write a creative piece inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The winning stories were imaginative, original and inspirational and the winners were well rewarded with gift vouchers in recognition of their fantastic achievements.
Zahid Hussain explained: “As an author and a father, I think it is vital to nurture children in the art and craft of creative writing from the moment that they are born. The love for stories and story-telling is innate and Young Shakespeares strives to use that to inspire children to discover the world of literature.”
“We want to nurture our students to become great writers. We do this by kindling their desire to explore the world of words in a way that will get them reading, writing and using their imagination.”
Mr Sharrock, English teacher and Saint Paul’s literacy coordinator, said: ‘Creative writing boosts your imagination as you create new worlds, situations and characters in your work. When you’re creating characters in your writing, you’ll be building personalities, emotions and world views that are different from yours. In doing so, you’ll be developing your empathic skills, gaining an understanding for others’ views who don’t experience life in the same way as you.’
