The Young Writers Program at the South Coast Writers Centre is a thriving program that has been running since 2014. Facilitated by Prime Minister's Literary Award-winning author Helena Fox, the program offers creative writing workshops for young people aged 10-18. The program is built on active, workshop-based learning and practice, with the aim to be both a class and community, where young writers can develop their craft and create work they are proud of in a relaxed, inclusive, and supportive space.

LATE ENROLMENTS WELCOME - Enrolments made after the starting week will automatically be discounted the cost of the missed week/s.

YOUNG WRITERS GROUP - Tuesdays In-Person
(ages 10-13) with Rhys Lorenc
Wollongong Library (Upstairs, in The Lab), Tuesdays, 4pm-6pm for 9 weeks

YOUNG WRITERS GROUP - Wednesdays In-Person
(ages 10-13) with Rhys Lorenc
Coledale Community Hall, Wednesdays, 4pm-6pm for 9 weeks

In the YWG workshops, students will respond to writing prompts every week, read out their work and give each other feedback. There will be a focus on developing the craft of writing, learning new ideas and techniques, and exploring all kinds of writing in a fun and supportive way.

SENIOR YWG - Thursdays (Online with some In-person meetups)
(ages 14-18) with Helena Fox
Thursdays, 4pm-6pm for 9 weeks

In these workshops, students will delve deeply into the craft of writing through a broad range of writing prompts, and further develop their editorial skills by creating long-form work and revising works in progress. They will also read and critique each other's work and the work of diverse authors and continue to build their unique writer's voice, all in a safe and inclusive space.

As the Senior YWG will be an online program, we will offer two in-person meetups at Society City, Wollongong on two Sunday afternoons during the term (one mid-way through term and one at the end of the term), for the group to meet each other in Real Life. :)

YOUNG WRITERS PROGRAM MENTORS:

The Program is facilitated by Helena Fox, author and creative writing mentor. Helena has mentored young writers and adults for over fourteen years, running numerous creative workshops privately, in schools, and at the South Coast Writers Centre. Her debut novel, How it Feels to Float, won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction. It has also won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Writing for Young Adults and was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Prize, the NSW Premiers Literary Awards, and the CBCA Book Awards. Helena is passionate about helping young and emerging writers feel seen, heard, and empowered through their writing. Helena also facilitates the Young Writers Collective, part of the SCWC Emerging Writers Program.

Rhys Lorenc is a local writer, teacher, graduate of University of Wollongong (with a double major in Creative Writing and English Literatures) and art nerd, with a particular interest in speculative fiction. A long-time member of the Young Writers Program, Rhys co-founded the Young Writers Collective with Helena Fox in 2020 and has been leading workshops for both the Collective and the YWP for over two years. His writing can be seen in the Young Writers Collective anthology, Uncommon Words, and in Altercation Magazine.

INFORMATION

Please contact helena.fox@southcoastwriters.org if you have any questions.

Creative Kids Vouchers are applicable to this program, please enter your voucher number during the booking process.

Term fees can also be paid in instalments - please contact the SCWC at info@southcoastwriters.org to arrange.

For information on the Emerging Writers Program YOUNG WRITERS COLLECTIVE (for writers aged 18-25):

Please contact Helena Fox at helena.fox@southcoastwriters.org