A UK author, illustrator and publisher led a course to boost 40 children’s creative skills in Gibraltar during the mid-term break.
Accord Literary and The Rock Retreat organised the Young Writers’ Workshop over three days at John Mackintosh Hall teaching the students the building blocks of storytelling.
UK-based illustrator Eleanor Taylor Dobbs, author Frances Moloney and publisher Sarah Odedina led the workshop.
Other experts from around the world imparted their knowledge via video call.
The 40 children learnt about ‘storytelling, illustrating and discussing ideas on how to develop a plot and characters’, Gibraltar’s Ministry of Culture said in a statement.
They will now use these skills in the Young Writers’ Competition.
“Organisers welcomed contributions from writers, poets, song-writers, illustrators, animators and archivists from all over the world to give the young people the broadest possible experience,” said the statement.
“The group was energised and excited to meet the speakers and to hear their stories and learn about the creative process, using these experiences when developing their own ideas.”
They also connected with other students in Ghana and Bermuda via video call.
Minister for Education and Culture John Cortes, himself a keen writer and dramatist, visited the event and gave a speech.
He said: “It was wonderful to see the engagement of these children, and their enthusiasm for writing, illustrating and books in general.
“This is precisely what we need to achieve in order to develop our Gibraltarian Literature and for our young people to derive the benefits that books bring.”
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