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The Writing Together project has now developed into the Everybody Writes Project. For the latest news, check out their website.
 Bringing writers into schools
Writing Together aims to ensure that during their life at school every child encounters opportunities to work with writers who inspire them to write creatively. It's a unique partnership of literature charities and official bodies: Booktrust, The Poetry Society and The National Association of Writers in Education work with the QCA, the National Strategies, Arts Council England and the DfES. The DfES is the main funding body, and The Innovation Unit contributed to the first phase.
Poet Laureate Andrew Motion is a major figure and the Writing Together patrons include Simon Armitage, UA Fanthorpe, Richard Eyre, Michael Boyd, Jackie Kay, Simon Schama, David Almond, Fiona Shaw, Louis de Bernieres and Fred D'Aguiar.
Their work so far
Writing Together ran conferences for primary teachers in 2001 and 2002 and for secondary teachers in 2004.
They have been working more strategically during the current year by:
- establishing links with other organisations in the field of literature development;
- devising models for writers and teachers to work together out of school;
- piloting a new form of professional development for teachers based on The Poetry Society's Poetryclass course but using writers of different genres - drama, journalism and science writing;
- sponsoring training for writers organised by the National Association of Writers in Education.
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Writing Together Challenge
Writing Together has launched a national challenge to encourage schools to work with professional writers. This year they have provided £10,000 worth of funding for 170 schools to work with writers.
Quote from Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate says of Writing Together:
"As the pressure of exams increases, it becomes more and more important for pupils to have time for the growth of their imaginations, as well as their practical skills. Writing Together is an indispensible means to this end; it encourages pupils to discover themselves, to find new ways of linking with the world, and to relish their own as well as other people's creations."
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