Mikaela Carmichael who is 16, and Anni Cameron aged 17 have been chosen along with eight others to work on the national What’s Your Story project.
This will mean that the two poets will draft up the programme for a creative writing conference in June 2016 along with a network of illustrators and young writers across Scotland.
The resources will be developed by the ten teenagers and in collaboration with Scottish Book Trust and their partners the material will be used for young writers across Scotland in an online format.
The ten teenagers will include a screenwriter, writers of travelogues and life stories, a novelist and two short story writers. Mikaela who is from Liberton is an aspiring Gaelic poet and Anni is also a poet and lives in Joppa.
Speaking about the project, Mikaela said: “I’m really passionate about Gaelic writing and I thought this would be a good opportunity to learn from a mentor and also to organise an event that would help inspire other young people to take up Gaelic writing because there really aren’t enough of us.”
Anni commented: “This is a good opportunity and a good way to explore myself on a deeper level.”
Nicole Brandon, Young Writers Co-ordinator at Scottish Book Trust said: “The enthusiasm for creative writing and illustration shown by our ten teens in the initial weeks of the programme has been both extraordinary and joyous. Their faith in the ability of literature to inspire adventure, empathy and imagination has given What’s Your Story? phenomenal momentum, and we cannot wait to showcase their contributions to Scotland’s literary and creative culture.
“Their passion and conviction only reaffirms that young people have always deserved to be a part of our literary culture as creators and critics – not resigned to a default role as consumers. As access points to that side of our creative culture, Scotland’s literary organisations have a responsibility to help them get involved. It’s our privilege to follow the lead of our teenage participants and create new and fruitful opportunities for them and their peers to connect with each other, grow in confidence and ability, and collaborate to create their own new facet to Scotland’s literary culture.”
What’s Your Story? is funded by Time to Shine, Creative Scotland’s arts strategy for young people, and is intended to celebrate and nurture the talent and ambition of young writers and illustrators of all backgrounds, connect them with others across the country who hold similar interests, and help them shape the future of literature in Scotland. The support of The Gaelic Books Council has aided this goal through specific provision for a teen participant working in Gaelic.
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