|
New exclusive short stories by top children’s authors and a new book – make it a
monstrous Christmas from the Ministry of Stories
Children's writing charity the Ministry of Stories, cleverly disguised as Hoxton Street Monster Supplies shop, is the world’s premiere purveyor of goods to every kind of monster – and is launching perfect Christmas gifts for monsters of all ages. Highlights on the new online shop include:
- Limited edition range of Tinned Fear for children of all ages. This new range of five tins contains exclusive stories from five bestselling children’s authors; Night Terrors by Eoin Colfer, Creeping Dread by Charlie Higson, The Night Sweats by Andy Stanton, Alarm by Meg Rosoff and The Chills by Jeremy Strong. Each tin contains a different short story and is filled with a variety of horribly delicious sweets.
- The Awfully Bad Guide to Monster Housekeeping is the brainchild of writer and illustrator Laura Dockrill and was written by 150 local primary school children, with help from a further four talented poets and five leading children’s book illustrators. A four volume anthology with sections on Fashion and Grooming, the Alphabet, Food and Recipes, and Home and Recreation, it contains all the vital detail that every 21st century monster needs.
The proceeds from each sale go straight to the Ministry of Stories – a creative writing and mentoring centre for young people in East London, hidden behind a secret door in the Monster Shop.
Lucy Macnab, co-director and co-founder of the charity said: “We are really excited to be launching our online shop, first book and five new Tins of Fear. Since the shop and writing centre opened last year we’ve welcomed thousands of children to workshops and after school clubs facilitated by hundreds of volunteers including writers, artists, teachers and local residents here in Hoxton. It’s great to see all that creativity channelled into our very first publication and to know that we can now dispatch monster supplies all over the UK.”
To view the full range, including adult Tins of Fear with stories by Nick Hornby, Zadie Smith and David Nicholls, and to purchase online visit http://www.ministryofstories.org or pop into the shop on Hoxton Street. Opening hours are Tuesday – Friday 1.00pm - 5.00pm or Saturday 11.00am - 5.00pm.
- ENDS -
For further information please contact Lucy Macnab at the Ministry of Stories on
0207 729 4159 or email press@ministryofstories.org
Read more at www.ministryofstories.org
Find background and images at http://mediacentre.kallaway.co.uk/ministry-of-stories.htm
Editors Notes
What is the Ministry of Stories?
The Ministry of Stories aims to inspire a nation of storytellers. We believe in the power of writing to unleash young people’s extraordinary imaginations, build their confidence and self-respect and enhance their ability to communicate and understand.
We run free writing workshops and mentoring for young people aged 8 - 18 in East London, supported by trained volunteers: writers, teachers, local people and artists providing the skills, experience and individual attention that we believe makes the difference. Our work is designed to fire young people’s imaginations and to make writing fun. It takes place behind the mysterious shop-front of Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, the only shop to cater to the everyday needs of every imaginable kind of monster.
Co-founded by author Nick Hornby, Lucy Macnab and Ben Payne, the Ministry of Stories works with all forms of writing: from screenwriting, poetry and songwriting to blogging, journalism and copywriting. Supported by Zadie Smith, David Nicholls and Meera Syal, among others, we believe in writing for a purpose, working towards a finished product that another person can read or experience. Since launching in November 2010 we have over 1000 people registered to volunteer, thousands of children attending workshops, a great response from local schools, and growing impact with young people attending individually. We are located in one of the most deprived boroughs in the country, with big challenges for literacy. Our work has already raised aspiration, confidence and writing skills with thousands of local children.
The Ministry of Stories is inspired by the highly successful model of 826 Valencia, founded ten years ago in San Francisco by the novelist, Dave Eggers. Eggers’ guess was that there would be enough writers and those interested in writing in his community willing to volunteer their time to mentor young people with their writing. However, the space he found for his writing centre at 826 Valencia Street was zoned for retail - it had to sell something – and so, inspired by the building’s wooden ship-like interior, he also opened it as a pirate supplies store. The idea spread and there are now seven other 826 centres across the US, each with their own shop theme. The shops create an imaginative world and all profits go towards the cost of the writing programmes.
- End to All -
|
