YOUNG WRITERS PROGRAM
The Young Writers Program at the South Coast Writers Centre is a thriving program that has been running since 2014. The Program offers creative writing workshops for young people from 10 through to 25 years of age. The program is built on active, workshop-based learning and practice. In each workshop, writers respond to creative writing prompts, learn about elements of craft, share their work, and critique their peers. The aim of the YWP is to be both a class and community, where young writers can develop their craft and create work they are proud of, all in a relaxed, inclusive, and supportive space.
There are three groups offered as part of a development pathway through the Young Writers Program.
The first is the Young Writers Group, for students aged 10-13 (years 5-8),
next is the Senior Young Writers Group, for students aged 14 and up (years 9-12),
and finally there is our graduate Young Writers Collective (18+).
There are opportunities throughout the year for students to read their work publicly, and at the end of every year the students produce and publish a Zine of their work.
Junior Young Writers Group
In this workshop group, students respond to prompts every week, read out their work and give each other feedback. There is 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 Young Writers Group
In these workshops, students delve deeply into the craft of writing through a broad range of writing prompts, and further develop their editorial skills by creating longform work and revising works in progress. They 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.
Young Writers Collective
The YWC is a self-directed writing group, with the members running the workshops themselves. Facilitated by graduate members of the Young Writers Groups, the philosophy of the Collective is to offer stimulating writing prompts, provide thoughtful and constructive feedback, support each other's writing, and build a diverse and inclusive community of young writers in the Illawarra.
We accept Service NSW Creative Kids Vouchers
Program Founder: Helena Fox
Helena Fox is the founder of SCWC’s Young Writers Program and the mentor of the Young Writers Collective.
Her debut novel, How It Feels To Float, won the 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature and the Victorian Premier’s Award. Her second novel, The Quiet and The Loud, was shortlisted for the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award for Older Readers and the ABIA Book of the Year Award for Older Children.
YWP Facilitator: Rhys Lorenc
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. Their writing can be seen in the Young Writers Collective anthology, Uncommon Words, and in Altercation Magazine.
YWP Mentor: Rebecca Monteleone
Rebecca Monteleone is an avid reader, aspiring writer, and lifelong grammar nerd. She studied Creative Writing, French, and Linguistics at the University of Wollongong and has worked as a French tutor, freelance editor, and bookseller. Rebecca has loved participating in writing workshops since she was in university and recently started with the Young Writers Collective.
YWP Mentor: Bron Pierson
Bron Pierson graduated from UOW with a double degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, as well as a Bachelor of Nutrition Science. She is a published poet and has been tutoring students aged 5-18 in English for over 6 years. She is currently completing postgraduate study to become a dietitian, and loves to combine her two passions of science and English within her writing.