The first workshop of the Writing Wrongs Schools Programme 2024 commenced on Saturday 27 January at Warwick Law School, warmly welcoming 55 students aged 16-17 from across the UK, interested in a career in law, journalism and social justice.

Led by Mary Griffin, Teaching Fellow at Warwick Law School and Editor of Lacuna Magazine, this three-day widening participation programme, aims to inspire young voices from diverse backgrounds to unite, find their voices and speak out on topics that matter to them. The programme also serves as the first introductory glimpse into university life for many participants, providing valuable insights into academia.

The first workshop included an introduction to the programme and its objectives. Students were then split into small groups to critically analyse a reportage piece on Palestinian cooking and how it promotes identity. This was used to help students begin to think about how to approach their own craft as writers. The diverse range of topics explored by students included, non-fiction, journalism, and fiction, delving into migration, racism, sexism, and mental health. Finally, Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, a journalist and writer who has published work in The Guardian and The Washington Post discussed the ethics of writing about human rights and injustice.

Highlighting the success of the programme, Alex Breeze, Warwick Law in the Community Co-Ordinator, stated:

“We encourage students to engage with challenging topics to write work that can have a huge impact on the reader. We have been thrilled to witness participants from past years progressing to university to study Law, English, and Creative Writing.”

Participants will submit a first draft of their writing, which will be reviewed by workshop facilitators at an online session on 2 March. They will receive personalised feedback and mentoring from writers and academics and there will be another chance to submit a draft for support and review at their next in-person workshop on 20 April.

The culmination of this inspiring initiative will be celebrated on 15 May at the Faculty of Arts Building on campus, where the winning piece will be announced, granting the author the chance to undertake a paid internship at Lacuna Magazine in Summer 2024.

Find out more

• Learn more about the Writing Wrongs Schools Programme
• Join our Teacher Mailing list for termly updates on our outreach activities