What happens when 14-year-olds across London are encouraged by postgraduate students at Goldsmiths, University of London, to pursue creative writing outside the curriculum? This is the result – an outpouring of ideas, memories, thoughts, fears, certainties, doubts and dreams expressed in a mash-up of styles, from first-person confessional to poems, gothic fantasy to absurdist humour, rap to reportage. Beloved pets, troublesome siblings, fantasy quests and painful dislocations spill out from these pages. As the certainties of home life blur into an unknown future, stories of playground spats take place alongside abductions and brutal murders. But for every dark dream there is a celebration of friendship, tolerance, the beauty of the world and our potential for growth and change. Moving, funny, assertive, reflective, revealing and raw, this writing will take you to the heart of what matters to a generation whose voices are not often heard.
A video made by students who wrote pieces for the anthology can be viewed here.
Creative Writing and Education 