First Story is a fantastic charity that aims to nurture the talent and confidence of young people by bringing inspiring authors into secondary schools in communities where they can make the biggest difference. Through creative writing workshops, they help students find their voice and tell their stories, often culminating in the publication of an anthology just like Lost in Translation.

A huge thank you goes to Ms. Corbally, our Library Manager, for making this event possible. The students have worked tirelessly throughout the year with our wonderful author-in-residence, Mark Gwynne Jones, who not only guided them but also edited this impressive anthology. Mark was clearly incredibly impressed with their efforts all year.

The event featured fantastically confident readings from the students, who shared snippets of their work and spoke about their journey on the programme. We heard some remarkable achievements, including Charlie winning a national competition and the exciting news that Natasha is set to be published in another anthology. Furthermore, Ahmed has been chosen from schools across the country to attend the First Story residential, a testament to his burgeoning talent. These students even had the incredible opportunity to visit Cambridge University for the First Story festival!

The anthology itself is a testament to their hard work and imagination. Mr. Richardson shared his immense pride and how impressed he was with the quality of the writing.

This is truly a momentous occasion for our students, as a copy of Lost in Translation will be placed into the British Library—a remarkable achievement that solidifies their status as published authors with a proper book! As Ms. Williamson put it, "The First Story programme has had a truly transformative effect on these young people, and we couldn't be prouder of every single one of them. Seeing their confidence blossom and their incredible stories come to life has been an absolute privilege." Congratulations to all our young authors on this remarkable achievement!