Writing in schools and community settings

On the Writers' Guild website, in an article that first appeared in the Guild's magazine UK Writer, Philippa Johnston of literaturetraining looks at the opportunities for writers to work in schools and other educational and community settings.

The article provides an overview of the entire sector, and is packed with links and advice.

There are lots of different ways to be involved. You may find yourself producing a prison soap as part of a Writers in Prisons residency; exploring Greenwich Peninsula with local residents; working with teenagers on a poetry and emotional health schools project; or devising murder mysteries in rural village halls in your role as reader in residence for a crime writing festival.

One word of caution, though. Many writers find such work hugely rewarding, and it will certainly help to pay the bills, but it’s not for everyone. It can mean that you have less time and energy left for your own work and, of course, just because you’re a great writer, you’re not necessarily a natural speaker or an inspiring workshop leader.