Though we haven’t been able to meet any of the writers in our Young Writers groups in Letterkenny and Derry/Londonderry since March, we are happy to say that the writing continues to flow! 

When the public health restrictions came in in mid-March, our two Young Writers groups had just come together for their first joint meeting. Writer Mary Branley and project manager Ciara Gallagher brought the writers from Derry/Londonderry to meet their peers in Letterkenny Library for the first time. The groups had been exchanging recorded messages via their writing mentor Mary, and so already knew a bit about each other. When the groups first met in person, it was as if they’d known each other for a long time. Everyone in the group spoke about their writing practice, the influences on their writing, their preferred genres for reading and in terms of their own writing. It was clear it was a meeting of minds! The group also worked on their writing individually during the meeting. After this, everyone read some of their work for the group or spoke a bit about something they were working on at the moment. It was a great way to end what was a fantastic meeting. A big thanks to the Letterkenny group, who were such wonderful hosts to the writers from Derry/Londonderry, and to everyone at Letterkenny Library.  

Since our joint meeting at the end of February, both groups have been connecting in our Young Writers online forum. It definitely does not feel like both groups of writers have only met each other once in person! Everyone has continued writing and sharing their work with the group. Our writer Mary continues to work with the writers as a group and on an individual basis. She is delighted to be one of the first to read their work.  

The Kids’ Own team continues to work with the writers virtually for the moment, and we hope to be able to meet again when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, our writers are working toward their publication. We can’t wait to see how it progresses!