First Story
We’re England’s leading creative writing charity for young people.
Our talented professional writers equip students in under-served communities with the confidence and skills to tell their own stories. First Story brings talented, professional writers into secondary schools serving low-income communities to work with teachers and students to foster creativity and communication skills. By helping students find their voices through intensive, fun programmes, First Story raises aspirations and gives students the skills and confidence to achieve them.
Rachael is our Senior Programme and Partnerships Manager! She wrote a story in response to the cover of Hidden Fires by FS writer .hussain 🔥
Our Programme and Partnerships Manager for Yorkshire, Naomi, shares a piece based on the cover of Few and Far Between by Jan Carson! 🌊
24/06/2026
responses from the First Story team! Everyone responded to the cover of The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta 🦩
Ben (Programmes & Partnerships Assistant) wrote a haiku for ! The piece is inspired by the cover of Strange Tales in Bradford Dale, by First Story writer 🌌
The First Story team have taken part in our National Writing Day activity! Lubna, Editorial Assistant Intern, responds to And The Stars Were Burning Brightly by 🌟
24/06/2026
🥳Happy National Writing Day 2026! 🥳
National Writing Day is an annual celebration of the pleasure and power of writing creatively, founded by First Story in 2017.
We've shared this year's writing activity over on our Instagram channel - do come and join in! (https://www.instagram.com/firststory_uk/).
Here's a great piece of reflection by First Story student Amaia from Longcroft School & Sixth Form College in Beverley, Yorkshire on why writing is so important.
Why Write?
Write for freedom. To give voice to people who cannot speak in this cruel world. Write for love. Twist every aching thought into a word or a sentence. Write for escape, to leave the cage that is our minds. Write for memories, to document each passing day, to remember how we felt.
Welcome to Episode #1 of First Story Presents: London Voice - a podcast spotlighting young writers' voices from First Story partner schools in London.
In this episode, Blue Sky Ballads, we journey with the young writers at Hampstead School as they take us from the city of London, through haunted homes to abandoned farms. We reflect with them on community and friendship, resilience and grief, and the internal soundtracks that move us.
Enjoy a snippet from this episode – Nuriyah reading her poem ‘My Blue Sky’.
You can listen to all episodes of the podcast on our website, link in bio. #
London Voice has been made possible by the generous support of The Mercers’ Company, trustee of St Paul’s Schools Foundation.
💫 Happy National Writing Day 2026! 💫
Share the joy of creative writing today!
23/06/2026
We’re at UCL East’s campus in Stratford for our London Voice Connect Event!
Students from our London Voice Programme have come together for a day of writing and sharing, with hosting from and workshops from Arjunan Manuelpillai Adisa Stephen-Ezeocha Francesca Beard ✏️
_school Trinity Academy
19/06/2026
We’re celebrating Pride Month by sharing LGBTQ+ book recommendations throughout the month from our Young Creatives Collective. This week, some classics:
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
Orlando by Virginia Woolf
Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
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