Start Writing YA: Creative Writing Workshops at Newcastle City Library

Start Writing YA is an introductory six-week writing course for anyone interested in exploring writing for young adults (approximately 12-18 years of age). You might have never written anything before, or be looking to try out a form that is new to you. Alongside tutor Bridget Hamilton, you’ll learn what makes this genre unique and cover the fundamentals of storytelling before exploring how to craft something that resonates with a teenage audience. About the workshop facilitator: Bridget Hamilton is a poet and creative practitioner originally from Kent who has lived in the North East for almost fifteen years. In 2023 she won the Debut YA Fiction award at the Northern Writers Awards, and her debut YA novel, We Wait for the Stars, was published by Little Tiger in July 2026. Her writing explores themes of home, family, belonging and identity, and is often informed by her extensive work with young people and those in the criminal justice system. She has worked with, or been commissioned by, organisations such as Kielder Observatory, Hexham Book Festival, Sunderland Culture and BBC Radio Three.