The Writing Workshop runs after-school, school holiday, online and in-school creative writing workshops and activities for children and young people. Published authors lead all our courses. (Click on the links for more information: after-school, school holiday, online and in-school.) The Writing Workshop was founded in 2006 by multi-award-winning author Dr Bernard Cohen.

Please join our email list for information about upcoming workshops.

Bookings

The Writing Workshop helps young writers build confidence,
take pride in work, develop creativity, improve literacy,
increase general braininess and have a lot of fun.

News: New courses for teachers — NESA-accredited PD short courses or staff development days at your school or in your local area. New, inspiring methods to enliven your school's writing engagement and skills. NEW syllabus stages 4/5 and 6 courses in addition to teacher PDs from early stage 1 throughout school. Whole-school approaches, transition to high school and skills to HSC Extension 1 and 2. All courses led by highly experienced author-educators. For more details, contact us or follow this link.

School holiday courses take place every school holidays at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay. April 2018 holidays: eight creative writing workshops offered for young people from ages 6 to 15. NOW BOOKING.

After-school courses now run in Annandale, East Lindfield, Eastwood, Haberfield and Leichhardt. Years 1-12. Term 1, 2018 Now Booking.

Our online courses for ages 7-10 and 10 years and over welcome participants from anywhere in the world.

We offer in-school courses for Kindergarten to HSC throughout the Sydney metropolitan area and far beyond. We invite small small groups to visit out new premises in Leichhardt for super-charged imaginative workshops.

What the papers say: Great article about The Writing Workshop in Sydney Morning Herald.

News: Congratulations to Rose Forrest, winner of the 2017 John Marsden and Hachette Prize for Young Writers (fiction category). Read all about it. Rose, now in year 12, has attended our workshops since she was in year 4.

News: The Writing Workshop is endorsed to provide NESA Registered Professional Development for teachers accredited at Proficient Teacher level. High-quality, hands-on professional development courses for primary and secondary school teachers. Our courses engage educators in the creative process and provide effective strategies and techniques within a quality teaching framework to motivate, develop and challenge young writers. Please follow this link for more information.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

April 2018 holiday creative writing workshops - Now Booking

This coming holidays we'll be offering eight different workshops for ages six to fifteen, including specialist workshops for fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, non-fiction (rhetoric and persuasion) and our regular fun and educational workshops.

Our holiday workshops take place in the Field Studies Tower at the Education Centre Tower in Bicentennial Park, Homebush Bay (within Sydney Olympic Park) as part of Sydney's largest school holiday program, Kids in the Park. Free parking is available at the venue (Carpark P10f). Google map reference here.

You will find school holiday creative writing workshops suitable for ages 6-15 and for all skill levels. We're proud of our record in switching previously reluctant children onto the pleasures of writing and in helping ambitious young writers fulfil their literary ambitions. Please join our email list to keep informed of the latest course information.

The Writing Workshop consistently receives 100% satisfaction rating. Read comments from children and parents.

April 2018 school holidays workshops timetable

Book all workshops via this link. Don't wish to book online? Download this form for EFT and cheque payments.

• Sunday 15th April 10am - 3.30pm "Write Your Own Book" workshop for 8-13 year olds. $150. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.
• Monday 16th April 10am - 3.30pm "Rhetoric and Persuasion" creative writing workshop for 8-13 year olds. $150. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.
• Tuesday 17th April 10.00am - 3.30pm "Skilled Young Writers" workshop for 10-15 year olds. $150. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.
• Wednesday 18th April 10am - 1.00pm "Animal Tales" workshop for 6-9 year olds. $85. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.
• Saturday 21st April 10am - 1.00pm "Future Inventions" workshop for 6-9 year olds. $85. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.
• NEW Sunday 22nd April 10am - 3.30pm "Fantastic Journeys" workshop for 8-13 year olds. $150. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.
• NEW Monday 23rd April 10am - 3.30pm "New worlds, future stories" creative writing workshop for 8-13 year olds. $150. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.
• Tuesday 23rd April 10am - 3.30pm "Tales of Mystery and Suspense" workshop for 9-14 year olds. Places available. Click here to book. Scroll down for workshop details.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

Can't make it this time but want us to keep you informed of future courses? Please click here to join our Upcoming Courses email list.

Workshop Details April school holidays 2018

Don't wish to book online? Download this form for EFT and cheque payments.

"Write Your Own Book" workshop for 8-13 year-olds. How to set, plan, build and finish your own extended story. Creating atmospheric settings, memorable characters and gripping plots. This full day (bring your own picnic lunch) will give you all the skills and inspiration you need to write your own book. Held at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park.
Sunday 15th April 10am - 3.30pm
$150. Places available. Click here to book.

"Rhetoric and Persuasion" creative writing workshop for 8-13 year-olds. Writing is a powerful tool for advocating for a cause or persuading others to change their minds. Skills, tricks, pitfalls and mistakes, from Ancient Greece to the present day. Use humour and emotion effectively in making your case.
Monday 16th April 10am - 3.30pm
$150. Places available. Click here to book.

"Skilled Young Writers" workshop for 10-15 year-olds. Try out new ideas and techniques in an inspiring and enjoyable setting. Stretching your metaphors, testing new poetic forms, developing effective and believable narrative voice. This full day (bring your own picnic lunch) will build your skills and help you find new sources of inspiration. Held at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. With award-winning novelist Dr Bernard Cohen.
Tuesday 17th April 10am - 3.30pm
$150. Places available. Click here to book.

"Animal Tales" for 6-9 year olds. Write and illustrate your own imaginative stories about all kinds of curious and unexpected animals, wild and friendly. This is a really fun and educational workshop for younger writers. All materials provided.
Wednesday 18th April 10am - 1.00pm
$85. Places available. Click here to book.

"Future Inventions" creative writing workshop for 6-9 year olds. It's new! It's shiny! It's extremely useful! What could possibly go wrong? This fun and educational workshop for younger writers uses inventions of their devising as the basis for inventive story-making. All materials provided.
Saturday 21st April 10am - 1.00pm
$85. Places available. Click here to book.

"Fantastic Journeys" creative writing workshop for 8-13 year-olds. Create heroic tales, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, mighty characters and powerful rivalries. Found your way through
Held in the Field Studies Tower at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park.
Sunday 22nd April 10am - 3.30pm
$150. Places available. Click here to book.

NEW "New worlds, future stories" creative writing workshop for 8-13 year-olds.
Imagine new life forms, new technologies, new ways of life. Use everything you've ever heard about space and science in your fiction. Invent great journeys across galaxies, and inter-galactic confrontations: are mere humans up to the challenge?
Monday 23rd April 10am - 3.30pm
$150. Places available. Click here to book.

"Tales of Mystery and Suspense" workshop for 9-14 year-olds. Create characters with secrets of gold or power or crime, smart and greedy rivals, atmospheric landscapes, red herrings and smart detection. This full day will give you all the tools and ideas to write your own extended mystery story.
Tuesday 24th April 10am - 3.30pm
$150. Places available. Click here to book.

Parent comment: "Thank you for all the positive energy you put into the writing course. You really have a talent for engaging young writers. My son had a great time and it's great to see him write outside of the realms of his comfort zone. He has come home writing and already I can see some development in the area of characterisation and plot formation. He has asked to do another course which is fantastic. It was wonderful seeing so many children with a passion for writing in the same room."

News: Congratulations to Rosie Forrest on winning the 2017 John Marsden/Hachette Writing Prize for Fiction. Rosie attended our after-school creative writing workshops from year 4 to HSC.

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Term 1, 2018 After-School Workshops

Bookings are now open for Term 1, 2018 after-school creative writing workshops at all venues except East Lindfield* — we offer workshops in Eastwood, Haberfield, Annandale and East Lindfield for school years 1 to 6, booking forms below. For high school students, we hold evening workshops in Leichhardt on Mondays for school years 10 to 12 and Tuesdays for school years 7 to 9.

Book Annandale, Eastwood, Haberfield and Leichhardt workshops via this link. Don't wish to book online? Download this form for EFT and cheque payments.

Book East Lindfield workshops here.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

Book all workshops via this link or scroll down to book by venue.

Mondays at Eastwood Public School. Commences Monday 5 February 2018. Years 1-2 from 3.15 to 4.10 pm; years 3-4 from 4.15 to 5.10 pm; years 5-6 from 5.15 to 6.10 pm. Please contact us for further details or click here to book.

Monday evening course for school years 10-12, Leichhardt 7.00pm-8.30pm. Commences Monday 5 February 2018. Limited places available. Please contact us for further details or click here to book. .

Tuesdays at Haberfield Public School. Commences Tuesday 6 February 2018. Years 1-2 from 3.15 to 4.10 pm (places available); years 3-4 from 4.15 to 5.10 pm (group full); years 5-6 from 5.15 to 6.10pm (places available). Please contact us for further details or click here to book.

Tuesday evening course for school years 7-9, Leichhardt 7.00pm-8.30pm. Tuesday 6 February 2018. Booked out term 1 - contact us for further details about future workshops.

Wednesdays at Lindfield East Public School.. Commences Wednesday 7 February 2018. Years 1-3 from 3.20 to 4.30 pm (booked out); years 4-6 from 4.30 to 5.30 pm(places available). (This workshop is administered by Lindfield East Public School P&C. Bookings via this link: http://lepspandc.asn.au/creative-workshop/. Curriculum will be the same as at other venues.)

Thursdays at Annandale North Public School. Commences Thursday 8 February 2018. Years 1-2 from 3.05 to 4 pm; years 3-4 from 4.05-5 pm (booked out); years 5-6 from 5.05 to 6 pm. Please contact us for further details or click here to book.

Parent emails:

"Jade (aged 13) has really, really been enjoying your class. Thanks for putting on such a stimulating course that progresses through the term toward Jade and the other children feeling they are achieving great things with what they love to do (and do best). Although the journey is always what keeps the cogs in motion, it's the end product often that 'glows' as the big reward for the time and effort spent. Jade has definitely felt a sense of pride and achievement in what you have guided her toward and taught her."

"Thank you very much for helping Stanley (aged 9) write so much on his own this Tuesday, YOU ARE MAGIC!!! Stanley told me he loves your style of teaching."

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

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Online Workshops

Online Creative Writing Workshops for ages 10 and up

The Writing Workshop's internet creative writing workshop for young people aged 10 and up takes place anywhere in the world through our password-protected blog interface. The workshops involve regular writing exercises and mentor feedback, as well as the chance to read and discuss your work with your peers (all comments are moderated). Click here for an enrolment form (new window, pdf). Use this form to ask for more information.

Children's Online Writing Workshop for young people aged 7-10

The workshop comprises eight writing tasks (and second drafts) over 6 months, you will invent your own story world, populate it with unique and interesting characters and make brilliant events occur. This course complements our ongoing course for ages 10 and over. which has attracted young writers from all over the world. To enrol, click here (opens PDF in new window). For further enquiries, please use this form.

Haiku by Frankie, aged 12 Perfect conditions, The road sprayed with light, winds calm, Birds twitter in the trees. Snowflakes on my tongue, The road cold, filled with deep snow, Animals hide, sleeping. Leaves stare at the sky, The road, dead leaves underfoot, Jump and make them fly. Flowers bloom, bright colours, The road, sweet aromas fly, Rejoice, new year comes. (from TheWritingWorkshop Online, July 2009)

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School programs (Incursions)

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

TWW offers schools high-quality workshops and courses ranging from a single session to term-length residencies. Our senior high school workshops address creative writing elements of the NSW HSC English curriculum, with particular focus on recent markers' comments. We also offer high-quality in-service and planning days for teachers.

School organisers please click here for more information on school programs, or contact us by clicking here.

Previous school days and workshop series include Wahroonga Public School, Homebush Boys High School (including teacher professional development day), Sydney Secondary College, Al Zahra College, Glenmore Rd Public School, Rosebank College, Emanuel School, Newtown North Public School (in-service for all staff + year 5 workshop), King David School (Melbourne), Queenwood School for Girls (HSC "Belonging" unit of study workshops), Forest Lodge Public School (in-service for all staff), Bourke Street Public School (In-service for all staff + Term 2, 2009), St Joseph's Primary School (Taree), Athelstane Public School (in-service for all staff + Term 2, 2009), Malek Fahd Islamic School (HSC workshop: "Belonging"), Matraville Sports High, Penrith Anglican College Enrichment Day (PACED), the Whitlam Institute (UWS) "What Matters!" school workshops, Gardeners Road Public School, St Joseph's Primary School (Denman), Glebe Public School (Years 2-6 - click for information and writing), Marrickville Intensive English Centre, La Perouse Public School, Marrickville Public School, St Peters Public School, Summer Hill Public School. Castle Cove Public School, St Fiacre's School, Croydon Park PS kindergarten groups, Annandale North PS (K-3), Marrickville West Public School, Pittwater High, MET Meadowbank (HSC workshop: "Belonging") and Tempe High (Year 8).

We welcome bookings from other organisations, and love working in libraries. Recent library workshops for teenagers include Blacktown, Leichhardt and Pittwater Public Libraries.

News: Authors in Priority Schools programs: The Writing Workshop offers in-school programs tailored to priority and disadvantaged schools. Our programs boost literacy and enjoyment of writing. Read about the pilot program, set up by the Australian Society of Authors, Federal Department of Education, Science and Technology and NSW Department of Education and Training.

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In-Service Courses for Primary and Secondary School Teachers

News: The Writing Workshop is a BOSTES-registered provider of professional development courses for teachers.

The Writing Workshop offers planning days, in-service courses for teachers of all school levels from K to 12, as well as modelled lessons. We will run courses in your school any time including on pupil-free and professional development days.

Our in-service courses focus on planning term-length creative writing programs. These are practical days requiring teachers to access and apply their own creative skills. No PowerPoint. Courses cover education for creativity and creative writing within a quality teaching framework. You can expect to walk away with new ideas and approaches for engaging and inspiring students, and teaching and thinking about writing.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

Feedback from Teacher Professional Development Courses

• A fantastic approach to teaching something quite difficult – narrative. Thank you for your enthusiasm – very refreshing. I really enjoyed the writing tasks myself.
• I liked the workshop because of the concepts behind it: encouraging children to develop solid ideas before attempting writing. The examples and exercises were good and are easily transferred to the classroom.
• Good to put ourselves “in the children’s shoes”
• You gave me another approach on how to teach creative writing. I can’t wait to try it out with my class this year. I’m always looking for a fresh approach and to try new things – and you have given me that today.
• I liked the ideas presented in a new format. I will use it with my planning and programming and for my own development of writing creatively. It was challenging and engaging.
• Great ideas about character development and love the newspaper article (exercise). Relaxed and informative – a great way to get creative juices flowing.
• I found the course useful – most useful was the experience of being expected to be creative to order, which is a daunting task! I like the template and will find it useful in planning the term’s work.
• Excellent ideas for story writing. I particularly liked the character analysis and writing about the event from the points of view of the characters – one of the hardest parts of writing for children. The idea of the land was inspiring as well.
• Really enjoyed the hands-on approach – helps you to put yourself in their shoes! It was great to model how to build character especially, as I find this is what kids find the hardest to do.
• New ideas for the classroom. Great presentation – Great breaking down of the narrative to smaller parts.
• Useful ideas re providing a stimulus/starting point for students.
• Great building blocks to develop narratives.
• I liked the detailed breakdown of narrative elements as a way of developing writing.
• Liked the emphasis on creativity without bogging students down with difficulties.
  I found the practical ideas for activities really interesting and useful. It was good to be put on the spot to remember what it is we ask kids to do all the time. I like the idea of making writing a long-term project, broken up by a variety of different interesting tasks. Thank you!
• Writing guide (for term) very useful. Writing tasks were valuable – I was nervous at first.
• Great ideas to take back to school.
• Thank you for a great workshop. Loved working on developing characters and will take with me some new and excellent ideas for creative writing.
• Note: These comments are from Staff Planning Day for Newtown North and Forest Lodge Public Schools (all teaching staff from both schools).

Professional Development afternoon at Moree Christian School, involving teachers from that school, Moree East Public School and Moree Secondary College. Eleven feedback forms were returned, and here they are.

Athelstane Public School Planning Day for all school teaching staff, K-6 plus IM. Participant comments:

"Great ideas to make children's creative ideas flow.""I found the workshop very valuable. It was great to learn in more depth how to really plan a story, how to develop character and keep a narrative going and facilitate this in students' writing. The practical activities were excellent... This sort of teaching is much more practical and helpful than other courses that simply teach a macrostructure or checklist to include in a narrative. Thanks." "Very engaging - hands on... Lots of useful ideas and tips for writing with children."

"A very informative day. Presented in a clear, simple and practical manner."

November 2008 Gifted and Talented Creative Writing Planning Day at Penrith Anglican College and invited nearby schools. Participant comments:

"I found the ideas to be very helpful. I am keen to try them in the class ASAP. Bernard is passionate about writing and made me feel that I would succeed as a teacher. Bernard is an excellent facilitator."

"I've taken some new ideas to share with my colleagues. Presentation was relaxed and informative. It was great that you didn't use PowerPoint and you talked to us."

"Well presented, interesting writing strategies I can see myself incorporating into my classroom writing program next year. You have inspired me to write!"

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News

News: Congratulations to Isaac on his 2016 ICAS high distinction.

News: Bernard Cohen is the inaugural winner of the Russell Prize for Humour Writing. The prize, valued at $10,000, was awarded to Bernard's most recent novel for adults, The Antibiography of Robert F. Menzies. In order to promote more humour for children in need of it, Bernard donated half his prize to the Play Therapy Unit at Westmead Children's Hospital and the other half to Save the Children to support their work with children in immigration detention on Nauru. The winner was announced at the State Library of NSW in June 2015. Bernard is founder and director of The Writing Workshop. More information here.

News: Congratulations to Brendon on winning the years 5-6 section of the 2014 University of Western Sydney Whitlam Institute "What Matters?" essay competition. Brendon attended after-school workshops from kindergarten to year 4. Read his amazing piece here.

News: Congratulations to Fergus on the award of a full scholarship to Sydney Grammar School from 2015.

News: Congratulations to Emily from our Eastwood group on her 2014 ICAS high distinction.

News: Congratulations to Lucinda, whose story "Daybreak" won the 11 years section of the 2013 Bill Coppell Young Writers Award.

News: Congratulations to Lauren, Sydney Youth Writing Competition Writer of the Year 2012.

News: Congratulations to Silvia, whose prose poem "Sometimes It Feels So Bright at Night" won the 14-15 years section of the 2012 Bill Coppell Poetry Prize.

News: Congratulations to all those who received (and kindly let us know about their brilliant results) in the 2012 and 2013 ICAS Writing tests, including two in a row (2011 and 2012) High Distinctions for Mia in year 4.

News: Congratulations to Silvia, whose prose poem "Sometimes It Feels So Bright at Night" won the 14-15 years section of the 2012 Bill Coppell Poetry Prize.

News: Congratulations to Thomas in year 5, whose book "Harry the Huntsman Spider" was published by Willoughby City Council in its Wildlife Story Books series, July 2012.

News: Congratulations to Ella and Julia whose short stories won 1st and 2nd places at the 2011 International Grammar School Arts Day.

News: Congratulations to Frankie, aged 14, whose poem "The Bird and the Beast" was exhibited at the 2010 “Not Violent, Not Silent” Art Exhibition of the  White Ribbon Foundation.

News: Congratulations to Emily Maguire, colleague and workshop leader, who has been awarded a 2014 residency at the Nancy Keesing Writers' Studio in Paris. Well deserved! Bernard Cohen received a 2014 Australia Council New Work grant to write his next novel.

News: Congratulations to Tara shortlisted for the 2011 Tim Winton Award for Young Writers, presented annually in Western Australia. Tara attended our online workshop in 2010 and her Mum writes, "Tara LOVES to write and it is a fact that your course's approach definitely showed her (and her sister Brooke) a completely different way to plan, what to include and how to have a little more fun with their writing.I know that what Tara and Brooke learnt from [course leader Emily Maguire] was of great value as both have been doing extremely well in creative writing."

News: Bernard Cohen's novel, The Antibiography of Robert F. Menzies, was published by 4th Estate in October 2013. With multiple points-of-view and footnotes, the novel is already being adopted by HSC students as an English Extension 1 related text for Module A: Life Writing and Module C: Textual Dynamics.

News: Congratulations to Lily Edelstein, whose essay "Girl Talk" was published in Jane Caro's Destroying the Joint anthology (UQP 2013). Lily was the only school student included in the anthology, which also has contributions from Wendy Harmer, Senator Penny Wong, Tara Moss and Emily Maguire. Lily completed year 12 in 2013, and attended The Writing Workshop since we started in 2006. More news from Lily: congratulations again on becoming a regular contributor to Birdee Magazine. We are thrilled.

News: Congratulations to Seren, Sabrina, Gabriel, MacKenzie and Rebecca, whose ghost stories were professionally recorded and featured in The Performance Space's "Nightime: Twilight" held very spookily at St Stephen's Cemetery on 15th September 2012. Seren's piece was extracted for ABC Radio National's Books and Writing program.

News: Congratulations to Diya Pacheco for attaining the 2011 NSW HSC Top Achievers list in English (Advanced), finishing 6th in the state! Diya attended a number of courses including our first ever holiday program in 2006 and an HSC Belonging unit of studies creative writing course. She writes:

A significant portion of my HSC English studies, particularly the creative writing components, were influenced by what I had learnt in your classes some time before... Having written an extended short story for my Ext 2 English Major Work, the solid grounding in creative technique I learned from you was imperative. I must thank you for this, because were it not for your invigorating and challenging lessons, I would never have reached the creative standard I did, and I certainly would not have achieved the marks I did.

News: Congratulations to Samuel whose short stories were awarded 1st AND 2nd prizes in the 2010 Sydney Youth Writing Competition. Congratulations to other participants (including Angelique) whose stories and poems were also highly rated and included in the SYWC anthology Thunder and Lime.

News: Congratulations to Erin and Ben, gold and bronze award-winners respectively in the 2010 Write-On Competition conducted by the NSW Board of Studies.

News: Congratulations to poet Silvia, aged 12, for an excellent third in the 2010 Gold Coast Writers' Association Children's Writing Competition (from many entries) and to Ella, 14, whose Vietnam War short story won the 2010 Junior Writing category at her school.

In Term 1, 2010, all groups wrote about ancient times. Here is 8-year-old Livinia's description of life as a slave in Ancient Egypt. In term 2, school years 3-9 created new lands and fascinating narrators. From Term 2, here is 13-year-old Ella's official analysis of her land from the point-of-view of a professional CD stacker.

News: Congratulations to Lily Edelstein, 2009 winner of Burwood Girls High's inaugural Young Writer's Award. Lily, in year 8, has attended The Writing Workshop since 2006.

News: Congratulations to Rosie, aged 9, winner of the 7-9 year-old division of the 2009 Leichhardt Library children's writing competition.

News: Welcome to Vogel Award winner and television scriptwriter Jennifer Kremmer. Jennie will run in-school courses on the central coast and Newcastle area. She began at Raymond Terrace Public School in term 3. Jennifer has 20 years' experience teaching creative writing at university level.

News: Congratulations to workshop leader Catherine Therese, whose book (for adults) The Weight of Silence: A Memoir (Hachette Australia) was shortlisted for the State Library of NSW's National Biography Award. Catherine is also a stand-out stand-in for The Writing Workshop.

News: Congratulations to Darcy, aged 8, March 2009 Kids' Editor of Burke's Backyard magazine.

News: Congratulations to Willem Proos, runner-up in the 2008 Sun-Herald's "The Ultimate Story" competition. Kay (Willem's Mum) writes: "Willem had a great time at your course and learnt a lot." The competition attracted over 1000 entries.

Parent email: "Thanks for much, the kids loved your course! As always! H__ was disappointed that we will be in Spain next school holidays and so miss out on your next holiday course!! It is a credit to your skill that you can keep all the kids (of such varied ages) so interested and enthusiastic that they would prefer your course to an overseas holiday!!"

Congratulations to Holly (year 5) and Nicholas (kindergarten) from TWW who won junior and senior sections respectively of the Annandale North Short Story competition. Claudia and Laine also won prizes, and Ella was highly commended. Congratulations to Alex from Drummoyne PS who won a school award for his story writing. Read Holly's truly remarkable story here.

News: In 2008, The Writing Workshop further contributed to "Priority Schools". Bernard Cohen was once again visiting author at four "priority schools" under the NSW Education Department's Priority Schools Program. The schools were Alexandria Park Community School, Matraville Sports High School, Gardeners Road Public School and Athelstane Public School. Priority Schools are defined by high levels of community welfare dependence and need. In 2007, Bernard presented term-length workshop series at Marrickville Intensive English Centre, Marrickville PS, Glebe PS and St Peters PS.

News: Bernard was keynote speaker at the Primary Principals Association (Port Jackson & Bondi areas) Annual Conference in mid-June 2007. The conference theme was "Magic Happens".

News: Writers Talk, a resource developed by the NSW Department of Education's Centre for Learning Innovation for the Sydney Writers Festival, features an interview with Bernard Cohen — and Bernard's masterclass with year 8 at Tempe High School, in which students transformed the school library into a museum. Other interview subjects include Deborah Abela, Ursula Dubosarsky and Emily Rodda.

More parent emails:

"I thought I might just drop you this note to really say thank you, and to let you know what a great job we think you do. "It is rare in our kids' overly full and ordered lives to get real opportunity to be lateral and creative in their writing. It suits our daughter down to the ground, and makes her feel special and validated. At the beginning of the term kids always wants to do lots of out-of-school activities, however this is the only one which independently motivates her every week."Kids have such great imaginations. Sometimes I think school unlearns some of this. We are fortunate to have an outlet to boost it back up again." — KC

"After attending your writing workshop last October, my daughter Olivia (now year 2) can't wait to come back to the workshop to work on one of her favourite areas - writing."

"Nick and Jorgie were buzzing after their first class on Thursday and are looking forward to next week. Jim and I were really impressed with their first writing task. Nick said he received loads of constructive criticism which is great, thank you."
More feedback from children and parents.

What the papers say about TWW: "The kids flood into the classroom, bubbling with excitement and comments about previous workshops and stories they've written, and Cohen gets straight down to business…" Read the Sydney Morning Herald article on TWW (SMH, 16/9/2006, opens new browser window - pdf/Acrobat format).

What the children write: click here. Or to download an A4 pdf (Acrobat format) of four collective poems, click here (opens in new browser window).

 

 

What do participants think of Bernard's workshops? This is what they've said.

Click here for The Writing Workshop's approach to learning creative writing: why we do what we do.

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According to the NSW Department of Education website, "Priority Schools Programs support government schools serving the highest densities of low socio-economic status families in New South Wales. The programs are underpinned by principles of equity and are part of the NSW government's commitment to social inclusion." For more information, here is the Priority Schools Program website.

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Bernard Cohen

Dr Bernard Cohen is an award-winning author and Director of The Writing Workshop. He is the author of five novels and a children's picture book. His most recent novel, The Antibiography of Robert F. Menzies, won the 2015 Russell Prize for Humour Writing and (in manuscript) an Arts Council of England Writer’s Award. An earlier novel, The Blindman’s Hat, won the Australian/Vogel Literary Award and three books earned him a unique three inclusions on the Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Young Australian Novelists list.
Bernard’s short stories, poems, reviews, features and essays have been published in numerous anthologies, literary magazines and newspapers, including The Penguin Century of Australian Stories, Best Australian Stories (twice), Best Australian Essays, the Australian, Sydney Morning Herald, Times Education Supplement and the Harvard Review.
Bernard has judged the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, the Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Writer award, and the Australia Council's Emerging Writers' grants for children's writing and new media, and served on the Board of Varuna Writers' Centre. He holds a Doctor of Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney (where he was an inaugural Alumnus of the Year).

Bernard’s first collection of short stories, When I Saw the Animal, will be published by UQP in 2018.

Bernard has over 30 years experience conducting writing workshops for young people, and founded The Writing Workshop in 2006. For more information, please contact The Writing Workshop.