Kid’s Own recently marked the arrival of their latest book, Buoyant; a collection crafted by our talented Young Writers group! Taking place at the Verbal Arts Centre in Londonderry, the day long event was great fun with workshops and presentations and was hosted by associate writer Mary Branley alongside Kid’s Own.

With an introduction from Mary to start the day, the contributors then held workshops helping other Young Writers to hone their skills and inspire them to keep creating. Mary said of the project “….being heard is a very powerful experience, and other’s deep listening can provide helpful feedback. These are very important life skills, collaborating, being comfortable in a group, listening, sharing and encouraging one another with the tasks in hand”.

Hannah and Aliyah, two of our Young Writers, took the stage to introduce each of their fellow writers. After warmly welcoming everyone onto the platform, they invited them to share a piece from their work for all in attendance.

The event was a hit! Friends and family had an amazing time together; the atmosphere was fantastic, creating memories to last. Kids’ Own CEO Ciara Gallagher and Project Manager Lorna Kavanagh both attended too. Ciara reflected on the day and said: “We firmly believe that young people should be leading and at the centre of any creative project they are involved in. That’s exactly what has happened with our Young Writers group, which has changed and grown alongside its writers. We’re so proud to publish this anthology, which really reflects a new generation of writers and literary voices from Donegal and Derry.”

We’re already looking forward to the next Buoyant event, date yet to be announced so stay tuned to find out when it’ll be!

You can order your copy of Buoyant here https://kidsown.ie/product/buoyant/

This project is in partnership with Donegal County Council Library Service and Libraries NI and was funded by Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund.