HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN WILL HOST A RECEPTION TO MARK THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST STORY
Clarence House
Tuesday 11th July 2023
The Queen will host a reception at Clarence House to celebrate the 15th anniversary of First Story.
During the reception, the Queen will meet First Story guests, including beneficiaries, staff, trustees and supporters of the charity. Antonia Byatt, CEO of First Story will give a speech and a First Story Young Writer alumna will read a poem at the conclusion of the event.
First Story was founded in 2008 by the writer William Fiennes and Katie Waldegrave MBE, to provide opportunities for under-represented young people to participate in enriching creative writing activities. Her Majesty became Patron of First Story in 2011.
Since their founding in 2008, First Story has printed and distributed more than 550 anthologies of new writing by young people – amplifying diverse voices from under-represented backgrounds; an estimated 10,000 young people have benefited from the core provision; and First Story students’ writing has been broadcast on BBC radio stations locally and nationally. First Story young writers have gone on to win national competitions, one has founded a publishing company whilst others have recently published books with Usborne and Faber & Faber.
In the most recent academic year (2022/23):
• First Story has placed professional writers in 49 partner schools nationally.
• Almost 1,000 young people took part in the intensive Young Writers Programme.
• Over 240 young writers and 30 teachers from 15 partner schools across England attended the annual Young Writers Festival, held for the first time at Downing College, in partnership with the University of Cambridge.
• 1,232 students from across partner schools entered one of the national creative writing competitions (Six Word Story, 100 Word Story and Eco-poetry).
• First Story professionally produced and published 45 First Story group anthologies, which will be added to the collection of the British Library.
