Former mentor and Cut Short author Ciaran Thapar has launched a writing competition for our former students. The winner will secure a free place on Ciaran’s Writing for Social Impact short course at City, University of London.
About the competition
In order to win a place on Ciaran’s short course at City, our alumni will have to answer a series of short questions outlining a vision for achieving social impact with their pen. The winner will be announced in late April.
Speaking about this, Ciaran Thapar said: “It is important to me that opportunities to develop writing skills are accessed by passionate young people, not just adults with deep pockets. I’ve learned through my own writing how much real-world impact can be achieved through telling stories and communicating persuasive arguments, and I want to share what I’ve found with participants on this course. That’s why it’s a privilege to be working with The Access Project to help jumpstart the writing journey of a talented student – and help to bring their vision to the page. Attending a City Short Course played a vital role in my own writing career. I hope it can do the same for them.”
Emily Pedder, Course Director of The Novel Studio and Writing Coordinator for Short Courses at City, University London said: “I was thrilled when Ciaran first approached me with this important initiative and delighted to now be partnering with Ciaran and The Access Project to facilitate this opportunity to support a young student from a disadvantaged background.”
About Cut Short
Cut Short: Youth Violence, Loss and Hope in the City is a book by author Ciaran Thapar, released last year. Ciaran once worked as a mentor at The Access Project. The book details the experiences of one of our former students, Demetri.
Ciaran draws on what he has seen as a youth worker and mentor, breaking down the many complex issues and realities of London’s youth violence crisis today. The book encapsulates a lot of the challenges the young people we work with face. The paperback, which will include additional educational material, is forthcoming this summer.