Bernard Cohen's The Writing Workshop runs after-school, school holiday, online and in-school creative writing workshops and activities for children and young people.

Our writing workshops and programs help young writers build confidence, take pride in work, develop creativity, improve literacy, increase general braininess and have a lot of fun.

October 2008 holiday workshops for ages 6-9 and 10-14. As part of the Kids in the Park program, our creative writing workshops will take place 6th-8th October 2008 in the spectacular Field Studies Tower, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. Click here for booking forms. Update: 6-9 year-old group bookings now open; 10-14 year old group bookings now open.

Selective High Schools Placement Test intensive writing workshop. This three-hour workshop is directed towards year 5 students sitting the NSW Selective High Schools Placement Test to be held early in 2009. The workshop will take place 5th October 2008 in the Field Studies Tower, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. The workshop will cover skills for the test's creative writing component, including scenario development, planning and test practice. Please contact Bernard via this form for further information or click here for a booking form. Update: Bookings now open.

Bookings now open for Term 4, 2008 after-school workshops — workshops now in Parramatta, Summer Hill and Annandale!

Mondays at University of Western Sydney Parramatta campus (campus map). Years 1-2 from 3.15 to 4.10 pm; years 3-4 from 4.15-5.10 pm; years 5/6 from 5.15 to 6.10 pm. Still places in all groups. Click here for enrolment forms in PDF for years 1-6. Or please contact us for further details.

Tuesdays at Summer Hill Public School, Moonbie Street, Summer Hill. Years K/1 from 3.20 to 4pm; years 2-3 from 4.05 to 5 pm; years 4-6 from 5.05-6pm. Click here for enrolment forms in PDF for years 2-6. Click here for kindergarten and year 1 enrolment forms in PDF. Or email bernard @ writingworkshop. com.au and we'll email a form to you.

Thursdays at Annandale North Primary School, Johnston St, Annandale. Years 1-2 from 3.05 to 4 pm; years 3-4 from 4.05-5 pm; years 5/6 from 5.05 to 6 pm. Click here for enrolment forms in PDF for years 1-6. Or email bernard @ writingworkshop. com.au and we'll email a form to you.

News: Congratulations to all those who participated in the ICAS/UNSW Writing Competition. Especially well done to Maddie A and Alethea with high distinctions (Maddie's was the highest mark ever achieved at her school), and to Ella, Nicholas A, Annie K, Isabelle, Anooj, Ciara, Umi, Holly, Clare O, Pola and all others with distinctions. Thank you to those who contacted me with news of your superb results. Bernard

News: Congratulations to Willem Proos, runner-up in the Sun-Herald's "The Ultimate Story" competition. Kay (Willem's Mum) writes: "Willem had a great time at your course and learnt a lot." The competition attracted over 1000 entries this year. More info in the Herald Education site here.

Online Workshops: Too far to travel to current venues? Try Online Creative Writing Workshops. The Writing Workshop's internet creative writing workshops take place in a blog with access by registration only (ie, no public access). The workshops involve regular writing exercises and mentor feedback. Minimum age is 10. Requires internet access from home and possibly some parental supervision/encouragement. Please click here for more information, or email Bernard via this form. Click here for an enrolment form (new window, pdf).

School programs

TWW offers schools high-quality workshops and courses ranging from a single session to term-length residencies.

Recent or current school days and workshop series include Glebe Public School (Years 2-6 - click for information and writing!), Marrickville Intensive English Centre, La Perouse Public School, Marrickville Public School, St Peters Public School, Summer Hill Public School. Castle Cove Public School, St Fiacre's School, Croydon Park PS kindergarten groups, Annandale North PS (K-3), Marrickville West Public School, Pittwater High (Years 7-11), MET Meadowbank (years 11 and 12) and Tempe High (Year 8). Our senior high school lessons address creative writing elements of the NSW HSC English curriculum, with particular focus on recent markers' comments. Recent library workshops for teenagers include Blacktown, Leichhardt and Pittwater Public Libraries.

School organisers please click here for more information on school programs, or email bernard@writingworkshop.com.nospam.au (after removing ".nospam").

News: The Writing Workshop further contributes to "Priority Schools". Bernard Cohen will once again be visiting author at four "priority schools" under the NSW Education Department'sPriority Schools Program. The schools are Alexandria Park Community School, Matraville Sports High School, Gardeners Road Public School and Athelstane Public School. Priority Schools are defined by high levels of community welfare dependence and need. In 2007, Bernard presented term-length workshop series at Marrickville Intensive English Centre, Marrickville PS, Glebe PS and St Peters PS.

News: Bernard was keynote speaker at the Primary Principals Association (Port Jackson & Bondi areas) Annual Conference in mid-June. The conference theme was "Magic Happens".

News: Writers Talk, a resource developed by the NSW Department of Education's Centre for Learning Innovation for Sydney Writers Festival 2008, now features an interview with Bernard Cohen. Other interview subjects include Deborah Abela, Ursula Dubosarsky and Emily Rodda. Further interviews are still to be added — as is Bernard's masterclass with year 8 at Tempe High School, in which students transformed the school library into a museum.

Parent emails:

"After attending your writing workshop last October, my daughter Olivia (now year 2) can't wait to come back to the workshop to work on one of her favourite areas - writing."

"Nick and Jorgie were buzzing after their first class on Thursday and are looking forward to next week. Jim and I were really impressed with their first writing task. Nick said he received loads of constructive criticism which is great, thank you."
More feedback from children and parents.

Congratulations to Holly (year 5) and Nicholas (kindergarten) from TWW who won junior and senior sections respectively of the Annandale North Short Story competition. Claudia and Laine also won prizes, and Ella was highly commended. Congratulations to Alex from Drummoyne PS who won a school award for his story writing. Read Holly's truly remarkable story here.

News: "TellTales" awarded Australia Council development funding. "TellTales," TWW's proposed interactive multimedia story-telling project for 8-13 year olds, has been awarded development funding under the Literature Board of the Australia Council's "Story of the Future" program. Australia Council Press Release.

News: TWW participates in LAMP. "TellTales," TWW's proposed interactive multimedia story-telling project for 8-13 year olds, has been accepted for "LAMP: Story of the Future Residential Lab". "TellTales" is directed by Natalie Kershaw, TWW's interactive media specialist (and shortlisted for the 2006 Vogel Literary Award). The "TellTales" team comprises Natalie, Bernard Cohen and designer Daniel Ormella. LAMP (Laboratory for Advanced Media Production), presented by the Australia Council and AFTRS, assessed applications on their innovation, narrative depth and potential for user-generated content.

What the papers say about TWW: "The kids flood into the classroom, bubbling with excitement and comments about previous workshops and stories they've written, and Cohen gets straight down to business…" Read the Sydney Morning Herald article on TWW (SMH, 16/9/2006, opens new browser window - pdf/Acrobat format).

What the children write: click here. Or to download an A4 pdf (Acrobat format) of four great collective poems, click here (opens in new browser window).

What do participants think of Bernard's workshops? This is what they've said.

Click here for The Writing Workshop's approach to learning creative writing: why we do what we do.

July 2008 holiday workshops for ages 6-9 and 10-14. As part of the Kids in the Park program, our creative writing workshops will take place 16th-18th July 2008 in the spectacular Field Studies Tower, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. Click here for booking forms. Update: 6-9 year-old group full; 10-14 year old group BOOKED OUT. New group for 8-12 year olds, 3pm - 5pm, 16-18 July.

"THE JOURNEY" — HSC English intensive one-day workshop. This workshop is suitable for all senior English students. The workshop will take place 15th July 2008 in the Field Studies Tower, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. Please click here or email bernard for further information or click here for booking forms.

Selective High Schools Placement Test intensive writing workshop. This three-hour workshop is directed towards year 5 students sitting the NSW Selective High Schools Placement Test to be held early in 2009. The workshop will take place 14th July 2008 in the Field Studies Tower, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. The workshop will cover skills for the test's creative writing component, including scenario development, planning and test practice. Please email bernard @ writingworkshop.com .au for further information or click here for booking form. Update: Full.

April 2008 holiday workshops for ages 6-9 and 10-14 (BOOKED OUT). As part of the Kids in the Park program, our creative writing workshops will take place 16th-18th April 2008 in the spectacular Field Studies Tower, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park.

News: Bernard conducted a Children's Book Council Masterclass at Sydney Writers' Festival on Saturday 24th May 2008. Details and bookings at the CBCA (NSW) website. UPDATE: booked out.

Bernard Cohen

Bernard Cohen is a novelist and picture book writer and director of The Writing Workshop. Bernard's writing has been published around the world and his awards include the 1997 Vogel Prize, 2001 Arts Council of England Writer's Award and a unique three inclusions in the Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Novelists. He has almost 20 years experience conducting writing workshops for young people, and founded The Writing Workshop in 2006. Please click here to read comments on Bernard's creative writing workshops from participants, parents and teachers.

For more information, please contact The Writing Workshop.