Creative Writing at HMP Wayland
July 16, 2025Posted by:
Our creative writing project at HMP Wayland is unlocking a passion for reading and writing among learners, helping them build skills that go beyond the classroom.
The Creative Writing Literacy Project includes visits from authors and actors, creative writing sessions, and special events like “More than a Book” week to engage learners in literature and storytelling. The project has had a fantastic impact with learners becoming more confident readers, stronger writers, and some have even stepped forward as Literacy Champions.
One standout success is the collaborative creation of a visitor’s book for children visiting their dads at the prison. Learners worked together to write, edit, and illustrate the book, which aims to make visiting less intimidating for young people and encourage a love of reading from an early age.
Participation in the project has also driven higher enrolments in our Functional Skills English course, helped build communication and teamwork skills, and created a growing library of learner-authored work; including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and even animation scripts.
While not every learner took to writing immediately, many found their niche contributing illustrations or story ideas, reinforcing a team approach to literacy. The collaboration has resulted in not only a lovely story, but the learners have become stronger readers and writers at the same time.
July 16, 2025Posted by:
