Author leads inspiring Writing Club for County Durham children
The creativity and talent of young writers was celebrated in style at Belmont Library as children from a local creative writing club showcased their achievements in a joyful end-of-year event.
The club, led by author and Writer-in-Residence Rachel Rivers Porter at the Durham County Council library, has been inspirational for children aged nine to eleven throughout the year.
The celebration was attended by Durham County Councillors, Lesley Mavin and Eric Mavin, who generously funded the initiative through the Belmont Parish Local Network and their Neighbourhood Budgets to The Friends of Belmont Library. Families joined in the festivities, which included interactive storytelling games such as domino runs, to illustrate story structure, and fast-paced “story starter” challenges.
The room buzzed with excitement as both children and adults shared their imaginative tales.
- “I grew more confident as a writer. I came every month because of how fun it was.”
- “I have learned more about myself.”
- “Amazed by my imagination.”
- “I like writing now!
A vibrant display of the children’s work featured heartfelt reflections on their growth as writers:
A touching moment came when Katy Tallentire, aged 10, presented a bouquet to Rachel Rivers Porter on behalf of the children’s group and the Friends of Belmont Library, who originally envisioned the club and reached out to the councillors to support it.
Katy shared: “This club has really impacted me as a writer because I have learned more about emotion, characters and types of stories and I have learned much more vocabulary. This club has inspired me to write more than I used to.”
Cllr Lyndsey Fox, Durham County Council Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “It’s lovely to see neighbourhood budgets being used to inspire younger generations with this writing club. The children’s testimonials demonstrate what a positive impact these community projects can have.
Creative Writing Workshop: County Durham Libraries’ Festival of Local Authors
A fabulous article in The Northern Echo on March 11th praising my creative writing workshops and my novels. A friend has passed on this newspaper cutting and it has made my day. Great to be known for my ‘engaging novels’ and ‘interactive and educational workshops’. The photo is of a previous workshop in Belmont, but the children who came to Sedgefield for the Festival of Local Authors event were equally enthusiastic and motivated.
Bandit’s Great Escape
Bandit is a puppy who thinks that the happy days with his friend, 12-year-old Isla, will never end. But they do. Isla and her family move far away and he’s left with a strange old lady and her strict rules.
Forming an escape committee with some animal friends, he makes a daring plan to find Isla. Can Bandit use his wits to fight for survival and will the best friends ever be together again?
‘Reader’s Favourite’ WriteMentor Novel-in-Development Award 2023.
‘There’s no other way to put it, this is the best dog adventure I’ve ever read. Wonderfully written, it is exciting, captivating and full of heart.’ ~ Philip Kavvadias author of the Mission Microraptor series.