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. All our courses are led by published authors.

The Writing Workshop helps young writers build confidence,
take pride in work, develop creativity, improve literacy,
increase general braininess and have a lot of fun.

School holiday courses take place every school holidays at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay. April holidays: seven different courses offered from ages 6 to 15. Now booking. Recent holiday workshop feedback.
After-school courses now run in Annandale (limited places in some groups), Leichhardt (high-school groups - all booked out), Cammeray (places available in all groups), Eastwood (limited places in all groups) and Summer Hill (1 place only in year 5-6 group). Term 2, 2012 now booking.
Our online courses for ages 7-10 (new!) and 10 and over (going for nearly five years) welcome participants from anywhere in the world.
We offer in-school courses for Kindergarten to HSC throughout the Sydney metropolitan area and far beyond. Recent HSC feedback.
High-quality, hands-on professional development courses for primary and secondary school teachers engage educators in the creative process and provide effective strategies and techniques within a quality teaching framework to motivate, develop and challenge young writers. Please follow this link for more information and recent course evaluations.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

News: Congratulations to Diya Pacheco for attaining the 2011 NSW HSC Top Achievers list in English (Advanced), finishing 6th in the state! Diya attended a number of courses including our first ever holiday program in 2006 and an HSC Belonging unit of studies creative writing course. She writes:

A significant portion of my HSC English studies, particularly the creative writing components, were influenced by what I had learnt in your classes some time before... Having written an extended short story for my Ext 2 English Major Work, the solid grounding in creative technique I learned from you was imperative. I must thank you for this, because were it not for your invigorating and challenging lessons, I would never have reached the creative standard I did, and I certainly would not have achieved the marks I did.

News: Congratulations to all those who received (and kindly let us know about their brilliant results) in the 2011 ICAS Writing test, including High Distinctions for Mia, Susanna, Tara M, Yong and Christopher.

News: Congratulations to Tara, shortlisted for the 2011 Tim Winton Award for Young Writers, presented annually in Western Australia. Tara attended our online workshop in 2010 and her Mum writes, "Tara LOVES to write and it is a fact that your course's approach definitely showed her (and her sister Brooke) a completely different way to plan, what to include and how to have a little more fun with their writing."

April 2012 holidays creative writing workshops

Participant comment: "The best day I have had this year." Oliver, aged 8.

Parent comment: "Happy child, happy Mummy!" (Survey response from parent of 6-year-old).

Our holiday workshops take place in the Field Studies Tower at the Education Centre Tower in Bicentennial Park, Homebush Bay (within Sydney Olympic Park) as part of Sydney's largest school holiday program, Kids in the Park. Free parking is available at the venue (Carpark P10f).

You will find school holiday creative writing workshops suitable for ages 6-15 and for all skill levels. We're proud of our record in switching previously reluctant children onto the pleasures of writing and in helping ambitious young writers fulfil their literary ambitions.

News: The Writing Workshop receives 100% satisfaction rating. According to the most recent survey conducted by Sydney Olympic Park Authority (October 2010), 100 per cent of respondents were satisfied overall with The Writing Workshop course their child attended in the October 2010 school holiday program at Sydney Olympic Park. All were satisfied with organisation, suitability of activity and value for money. No one was dissatisfied with ease of booking or staff helpfulness. Read comments from survey respondents.

April 2012 Holidays Workshop Timetable and Summary
(please scroll further down for more details of courses).

• Sunday 15th April 2012 10am - 3.30pm "Write Your Own Book" workshop for 8-13 year olds. Booked out.
• Monday 16th April 10am - 3.30pm One-day “Skilled Young Writers” workshop for 10-15 year olds. Places available. Please click here to book (opens PDF in new window). Scroll down for details.
• Tuesday 17th April 10am - 3.30pm One-day “Rhetoric” creative writing workshop for 10-15 year olds. Places available. Please click here to book (opens PDF in new window). Scroll down for details.
• Wednesday 18th April 10am - 3.30pm One-day "Fabulous Beasts" creative writing workshop for 8-13 year oldsScroll down for details. Booked out.
• Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd April 2012 for 6-9 year olds.10am - 12 noon each day "Kids in the Park" creative writing workshop for Booked out.
• Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd April 2012 12.30pm - 2.30pm "Kids in the Park" creative writing workshop for 8-12 year olds. Places available. Click here to book (opens PDF in new window). Scroll down for details.
• Monday 23rd April 10am - 3.30pm "Write Your Own Book: The Hundred-Year Mystery" workshop for 8-13 year olds. Places available. Click here to book (opens PDF in new window). Scroll down for details.

Can't make it this time but want us to keep you informed of future courses? Please click here to join our e-mailing list.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

Parent email, July 2010: "Thanks for much, the kids loved your course! As always! H__ was disappointed that we will be in Spain next school holidays and so miss out on your next holiday course!! It is a credit to your skill that you can keep all the kids (of such varied ages) so interested and enthusiastic that they would prefer your course to an overseas holiday!!"

April Holidays 2012 Course Details

One-day "Write Your Own Book" workshop for 8-13 year-olds, Sunday 15th April 2012 10am - 3.30pm. How to set, plan, build and finish your own extended story. Creating atmospheric settings, memorable characters and gripping plots. This full day (bring your own picnic lunch) will give you all the skills and inspiration you need to write your own book. Held at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. $125 inc GST. Booked out.

One-day "Skilled Young Writers" workshop for 10-15 year-olds, Monday 16th April 2012 10am - 3.30pm. Try out new ideas and techniques in a supportive and enjoyable setting. Stretching your metaphors, testing new poetic forms, and slowly, so very, very slowly adding to the excruciating suspense. This full day (bring your own picnic lunch) will build your skills and help you find new sources of inspiration. Held at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. $125 inc GST. Places available. Please click here to book (opens PDF in new window).

Rhetoric: The Art and Science of Imaginative Arguing for 10-15 year olds. Tuesday 17th April 2012 10am - 3.30pm. Persuasion, argument and logic. Prove that the world is flat and that gravity is a figment of the imagination, or that humanity would be better off through electing you mayor. Fill your writing with dogmatic and reasonable characters. Ancient and modern methods of persuasion (words only!) Places available. Please click here to book (opens PDF in new window).

One-day "Fabulous Beasts" creative writing workshop for 8-13 year-olds, Wednesday 18th April 2012 10am - 3.30pm. Create an unusual and fantastic creature and let it loose in your own story world. Dragons, griffins, elves and all manner of imaginary living things. Invent the magic. This course is always very popular and great fun. Booked out.

The Writing Workshop @ Kids in the Park holiday workshops for ages 6-9. Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd April 2012 (10 am - 12 noon each day) at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. (Note: age overlap with following group is for your convenience and judgment. We're happy to discuss the most appropriate group for your 8 or 9 year-old.) As part of the Kids in the Park program, our fun and popular regular creative writing workshops will take place. Create imaginary places, amazing characters and edge-of-your-seat events, and write superbly serious or fantastically funny stories and poems - all in your own brilliant literary style. $150 inc GST. Booked out.

The Writing Workshop @ Kids in the Park holiday workshops for ages 8-12. As part of the Kids in the Park program, our fun and popular regular creative writing workshops will take place Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd April 2012 (12.30pm - 2.30pm each day) at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. (Note: age overlap with previous group is for your convenience and judgment. We're happy to discuss the most appropriate group for your 8 or 9 year-old.) Invent your own country, travel in time, invent wild new machines (and use them). Create world-changing events, and write superbly serious or fantastically funny stories and poems - all in your own brilliant literary style. $150 inc GST. Places available. Click here to book (opens PDF in new window).

One-day "Write Your Own Book: The Hundred-Year Mystery" workshop for 8-13 year-olds, Monday 23rd April 2012 10am - 3.30pm. Invent an event so powerful that its repercussion are still felt 100 years later - a crime, discovery or secret passed from generation to generation. This full day (bring your own picnic lunch) will give you all the skills and inspiration you need to set, plan and build a gripping mystery story. Held at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. $125 inc GST. Places available. Click here to book (opens PDF in new window).

Parent comment: "Thank you for all the positive energy you put into the writing course. You really have a talent for engaging young writers. My son had a great time and it's great to see him write outside of the realms of his comfort zone. He has come home writing and already I can see some development in the area of characterisation and plot formation. He has asked to do another course which is fantastic. It was wonderful seeing so many children with a passion for writing in the same room." (email from parent of 11-year-old, April 2010)

Other Available Courses

Selective High Schools Placement and ACER Scholarship Tests preparation writing workshop for students entering year 6 in 2013.This three-hour workshop complements other more broadly based workshops and is directed towards students entering year 6 in 2013 and intending to sit the NSW Selective High Schools Placement Test to be held early in 2013 or ACER scholarship tests. The workshop will cover skills for the test's creative writing component, including scenario development, planning and test practice. Includes materials. We recommend that children first learn to write well, and secondly how to direct their writing skills towards a twenty-minute test. This workshop focuses on the second of these! $90 inc GST or $75 if taken with any other holiday course. (Not offered in April - put together your own group of 10 or more for a weekend workshop, or hold on till July.)

Story-Making Fun workshop for 5-8 year-olds. Held at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. Three hours. For very new young writers: this course includes plenty of individual and group creative writing work and time to illustrate your own stories. $75 inc GST. (Not offered this holidays - put together your own group of 10 or more for a weekend workshop, or bring it to the attention of your child's school.)

Poetry for 10-15 year olds. Half- and full-day programs available. Metre, imagery, advanced poetic forms and techniques. Shifts of focus and shape. We love poetry, so let us know if you do too and if there are a few of you (six or more) we'll organise a workshop.

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Term 2, 2012 After-School Workshops

Bookings are now open for Term 2, 2012 after-school creative writing workshops — we offer workshops in Cammeray; Eastwood; Summer Hill and Annandale for school years K to 6, booking forms below. Evening workshops in Leichhardt for school years 7 to 11 by application.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

News: Congratulations to Ella and Julia whose short stories won 1st and 2nd places at the 2011 International Grammar School Arts Day.

News: Congratulations to Samuel whose short stories were awarded 1st AND 2nd prizes in the 2010 Sydney Youth Writing Competition. Congratulations to other participants (including Angelique) whose stories and poems were also highly rated and included in the SYWC anthology Thunder and Lime.

In Term 1, 2010, all groups wrote about ancient times. Here is 8-year-old Livinia's description of life as a slave in Ancient Egypt. In term 2, school years 3-9 created new lands and fascinating narrators. From Term 2, here is 13-year-old Ella's official analysis of her land from the point-of-view of a professional CD stacker.

Mondays at Eastwood Public School. Commences 30th April 2012. Years 1-2 from 3.15 to 4.10 pm; years 3-4 from 4.15 to 5.10 pm; years 5-6 from 5.15 to 6.10 pm. Places available in all groups. Please contact us for further details or click here to download a booking form.

Monday evening course for school years 9-11, Leichhardt 7.00pm-8.30pm. Commences 30th April 2012. By application only, when places available.

Tuesdays at Summer Hill Public School, Moonbie Street, Summer Hill. Commences 24th April 2012. Years 1-2 from 3.05 to 4pm; years 3-4 from 4.05 to 5 pm. Places available in all groups. Please contact us for further details or download a booking form.

Tuesdays in Leichhardt: Years 5-6 from 5.30-6.25pm. Commences 24th April 2012. Please contact us for further details or download a booking form.

Tuesdays at Cammeray Public School. Commences 24th April 2012. Years 1-2 from 3.30 to 4.25pm; years 3-4 from 4.30 to 5.25 pm; years 5-6 from 5.30-6.25pm. Places available in all groups. Please contact us for further details or download a booking form for Term 1 2012.

Tuesday evening course for school years 7-9, Leichhardt 7.00pm-8.30pm. Commences 24th April 2012. By application only, when places available.

Thursdays at Annandale North Primary School, Johnston St, Annandale. Commences 26th April 2012. 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 to book for Term 2, 2012 . Or please contact us for further details.

News: Congratulations to Frankie, aged 14, whose poem "The Bird and the Beast" was exhibited at the 2010 “Not Violent, Not Silent” Art Exhibition of the  White Ribbon Foundation.

News: Congratulations to Erin and Ben, gold and bronze award-winners respectively in the 2010 Write-On Competition conducted by the NSW Board of Studies.

News: Congratulations to poet Silvia, aged 12, for an excellent third in the 2010 Gold Coast Writers' Association Children's Writing Competition (from many entries) and to Ella, 14, whose Vietnam War short story won the 2010 Junior Writing category at her school.

Parent email:

"Jade (aged 13) has really, really been enjoying your class. Thanks for putting on such a stimulating course that progresses through the term toward Jade and the other children feeling they are achieving great things with what they love to do (and do best). Although the journey is always what keeps the cogs in motion, it's the end product often that 'glows' as the big reward for the time and effort spent. Jade has definitely felt a sense of pride and achievement in what you have guided her toward and taught her." JS, April 2009

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

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Online Workshops

News: Following numerous enquiries, we're delighted to offer a new Children's Online Writing Workshop for young people aged 7-10. Comprising 12 writing tasks (and second drafts, please) over 6 months, you will invent your own story world, populate it with unique and interesting characters and make brilliant events occur. This course complements our ongoing course for ages 10 and over. which has attracted young writers from all over the world. To enrol, click here (opens PDF in new window). For further enquiries, please use this form.

Online Creative Writing Workshops for ages 10 and up. Can't make it to current venues for any reason? The Writing Workshop's internet creative writing workshop for young people aged 10 and up takes place anywhere in the world through our password-protected blog interface. The workshops involve regular writing exercises and mentor feedback, as well as the chance to read and discuss your work with your peers (all comments are moderated). Click here for an enrolment form (new window, pdf). Use this form to ask for more information.

News: Congratulations to Tara shortlisted for the 2011 Tim Winton Award for Young Writers, presented annually in Western Australia. Tara attended our online workshop in 2010 and her Mum writes, "Tara LOVES to write and it is a fact that your course's approach definitely showed her (and her sister Brooke) a completely different way to plan, what to include and how to have a little more fun with their writing.I know that what Tara and Brooke learnt from [course leader Emily Maguire] was of great value as both have been doing extremely well in creative writing."

Haiku by Frankie, aged 12 Perfect conditions, The road sprayed with light, winds calm, Birds twitter in the trees. Snowflakes on my tongue, The road cold, filled with deep snow, Animals hide, sleeping. Leaves stare at the sky, The road, dead leaves underfoot, Jump and make them fly. Flowers bloom, bright colours, The road, sweet aromas fly, Rejoice, new year comes. (from TheWritingWorkshop Online, July 2009)

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School programs (Incursions)

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

TWW offers schools high-quality workshops and courses ranging from a single session to term-length residencies. Our senior high school workshops address creative writing elements of the NSW HSC English curriculum, with particular focus on recent markers' comments. We also offer high-quality in-service and planning days for teachers.

School organisers please click here for more information on school programs, or contact us by clicking here.

Previous school days and workshop series include Newtown North Public School (in-service for all staff + year 5 workshop), Queenwood School for Girls (HSC "Belonging" unit of study workshops), Forest Lodge Public School (in-service for all staff), Bourke Street Public School (In-service for all staff + Term 2, 2009), St Joseph's Primary School (Taree), Athelstane Public School (in-service for all staff + Term 2, 2009), Malek Fahd Islamic School (HSC workshop: "Belonging"), Matraville Sports High, Penrith Anglican College Enrichment Day (PACED), the Whitlam Institute (UWS) "What Matters!" school workshops, Gardeners Road Public School, St Joseph's Primary School (Denman), 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, MET Meadowbank (HSC workshop: "Belonging") and Tempe High (Year 8).

We welcome bookings from other organisations, and love working in libraries. Recent library workshops for teenagers include Blacktown, Leichhardt and Pittwater Public Libraries.

News: Authors in Priority Schools programs: The Writing Workshop offers in-school programs tailored to priority and disadvantaged schools. Our programs boost literacy and enjoyment of writing. Read about the pilot program, set up by the Australian Society of Authors, Federal Department of Education, Science and Technology and NSW Department of Education and Training.

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In-Service Courses for Primary and Secondary School Teachers

The Writing Workshop now offers planning days, in-service courses for teachers of all school levels from K to 12, as well as modelled lessons. We will run courses in your school any time including on pupil-free and professional development days.

Our in-service courses focus on planning term-length creative writing programs. These are practical days requiring teachers to access and apply their own creative skills. No PowerPoint. Courses cover education for creativity and creative writing within a quality teaching framework.

Enquiries: please phone 0468 543 933 or use this form.

Feedback from recent In-Service Courses

August 2011 course held at Moree Christian School, involving twelve teachers from that school, Moree East Public School and Moree Secondary College. Eleven feedback forms were returned, and here they are.

January 2010, Staff Planning Day for Newtown North and Forest Lodge Public Schools (all teaching staff from both schools). Participant comments:

• A fantastic approach to teaching something quite difficult – narrative. Thank you for your enthusiasm – very refreshing. I really enjoyed the writing tasks myself.
• I liked the workshop because of the concepts behind it: encouraging children to develop solid ideas before attempting writing. The examples and exercises were good and are easily transferred to the classroom.
• Good to put ourselves “in the children’s shoes”
• You gave me another approach on how to teach creative writing. I can’t wait to try it out with my class this year. I’m always looking for a fresh approach and to try new things – and you have given me that today.
• I liked the ideas presented in a new format. I will use it with my planning and programming and for my own development of writing creatively. It was challenging and engaging.
• Great ideas about character development and love the newspaper article (exercise). Relaxed and informative – a great way to get creative juices flowing.
• I found the course useful – most useful was the experience of being expected to be creative to order, which is a daunting task! I like the template and will find it useful in planning the term’s work.
• Excellent ideas for story writing. I particularly liked the character analysis and writing about the event from the points of view of the characters – one of the hardest parts of writing for children. The idea of the land was inspiring as well.
• Really enjoyed the hands-on approach – helps you to put yourself in their shoes! It was great to model how to build character especially, as I find this is what kids find the hardest to do.
• New ideas for the classroom. Great presentation – Great breaking down of the narrative to smaller parts.
• Useful ideas re providing a stimulus/starting point for students.
• Great building blocks to develop narratives.
• I liked the detailed breakdown of narrative elements as a way of developing writing.
• Liked the emphasis on creativity without bogging students down with difficulties.
  I found the practical ideas for activities really interesting and useful. It was good to be put on the spot to remember what it is we ask kids to do all the time. I like the idea of making writing a long-term project, broken up by a variety of different interesting tasks. Thank you!
• Writing guide (for term) very useful. Writing tasks were valuable – I was nervous at first.
• Great ideas to take back to school.
• Thank you for a great workshop. Loved working on developing characters and will take with me some new and excellent ideas for creative writing.

April 2009, Athelstane Public School Planning Day for all school teaching staff, K-6 plus IM. Participant comments:

"Great ideas to make children's creative ideas flow.""I found the workshop very valuable. It was great to learn in more depth how to really plan a story, how to develop character and keep a narrative going and facilitate this in students' writing. The practical activities were excellent... This sort of teaching is much more practical and helpful than other courses that simply teach a macrostructure or checklist to include in a narrative. Thanks." "Very engaging - hands on... Lots of useful ideas and tips for writing with children."

"A very informative day. Presented in a clear, simple and practical manner."

November 2008 Gifted and Talented Creative Writing Planning Day at Penrith Anglican College and invited nearby schools. Participant comments:

"I found the ideas to be very helpful. I am keen to try them in the class ASAP. Bernard is passionate about writing and made me feel that I would succeed as a teacher. Bernard is an excellent facilitator.""I've taken some new ideas to share with my colleagues. Presentation was relaxed and informative. It was great that you didn't use PowerPoint and you talked to us."

"Well presented, interesting writing strategies I can see myself incorporating into my classroom writing program next year. You have inspired me to write!"

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News: In 2008, The Writing Workshop further contributed to "Priority Schools". Bernard Cohen was once again visiting author at four "priority schools" under the NSW Education Department's Priority Schools Program. The schools were 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 the Sydney Writers Festival, features an interview with Bernard Cohen — and Bernard's masterclass with year 8 at Tempe High School, in which students transformed the school library into a museum. Other interview subjects include Deborah Abela, Ursula Dubosarsky and Emily Rodda.

More parent emails:

"I thought I might just drop you this note to really say thank you, and to let you know what a great job we think you do. "It is rare in our kids' overly full and ordered lives to get real opportunity to be lateral and creative in their writing. It suits our daughter down to the ground, and makes her feel special and validated. At the beginning of the term kids always wants to do lots of out-of-school activities, however this is the only one which independently motivates her every week."Kids have such great imaginations. Sometimes I think school unlearns some of this. We are fortunate to have an outlet to boost it back up again." — KC

"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.

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Old news

News: Congratulations to Lily Edelstein, 2009 winner of Burwood Girls High's inaugural Young Writer's Award. Lily, in year 8, has attended The Writing Workshop since 2006.

News: Congratulations to Rosie, aged 9, winner of the 7-9 year-old division of the 2009 Leichhardt Library children's writing competition.

News: Welcome to Vogel Award winner and television scriptwriter Jennifer Kremmer. Jennie will run in-school courses on the central coast and Newcastle area. She began at Raymond Terrace Public School in term 3. Jennifer has 20 years' experience teaching creative writing at university level.

News: Congratulations to workshop leader Catherine Therese, whose book (for adults) The Weight of Silence: A Memoir (Hachette Australia) was shortlisted for the State Library of NSW's National Biography Award. Catherine is also a stand-out stand-in for The Writing Workshop.

News: Congratulations to Darcy, aged 8, March 2009 Kids' Editor of Burke's Backyard magazine.

News: Congratulations to Willem Proos, runner-up in the 2008 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.

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.

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 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.

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According to the NSW Department of Education website, "Priority Schools Programs support government schools serving the highest densities of low socio-economic status families in New South Wales. The programs are underpinned by principles of equity and are part of the NSW government's commitment to social inclusion." For more information, here is the Priority Schools Program website.

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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.

Bernard's latest publications for grown-ups: "The Chinese Meal, Uneaten" (short story) in Asia Literary Review Autumn 2011; "War against the Ungulates" (short story) first published in Heat 17 and included in Best Australian Stories 2008; "Hunter is Writing" (feature) in Australian Author 39/3; "Storm" (poem) published in FourW Nineteen. His latest publication for children is a Korean edition of the picture book Paul Needs Specs for the education market (published by Booxen 2011).

Bernard 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.