The Waggon Full of Words creative writing project was run as a joint venture between North Tyneside Children’s University Waggonways Project and North Tyneside Libraries & Museums, with a creative writing competion, launched March 2006, inviting people of all ages to write imaginative short stories or poems that would bring to life the waggonways of North Tyneside.
North Tyneside Libraries and Museum Service funded a series of adult workshops, while Heritage Lottery funding enabled North Tyneside Children’s University Waggonways Project to provide 10 half-day creative writing workshops for children, taking place at local libraries over the Easter school holidays.
Over 50 children from schools across the borough attended these workshops led by established children’s writers and history specialists. Using archive research, museum objects and drama the children were encouraged to develop their writing skills and produce waggonways-themed writing. Further waggonways writing competition entries were submitted by children working from home, school and homework clubs, and more than 100 waggonways short stories and poems overall were submitted by writers young and old.
All entries to the creative writing competition were considered by panels of judges, and the best material from both children and adult categories selected to go forward for two limited print Waggon Full of Words anthologies. Also, North Tyneside Libraries and Museums generously supplied book tokens to authors awarded first prize and highly commended in both adult and children’s categories.
To view the children’s Waggon Full of Words Anthology, please click below:
Anthology by Children.pdf
To view the prizewinning waggonways stories and poems written by adult competion entrants, please click on the links below:
Down the Waggonway - by Ruth Henderson
Even in Sleep - by Sonia Royal
Two Ways - by Noreen Rees
Pitman's Feet - by Jeff Price