Celebration of UKYA: Problems, Improvements And Actions

So I think I left off at the planning stages of my project in my last post. Planning was pretty easy for me as it only required little time to figure out what I wanted to do. Sadly, now actually trying to get everything done, it's all way above me.

Initially I wanted to only focus on UKYA fiction but now realized that that limits me a lot in trying to encourage people to come to my book club, so I've had to just keep it to YA fiction in general.


So, fortunately, I can say it's not going to be a complete flop. The displays I wanted to do aren't going to be as lavish as I pictured them. However, I spoke to the college librarian and she was totally for the idea of putting a display of YA fiction up. We actually ended up talking about reading in general and how I feel that in schools we are pushed to read certain books, which people don't enjoy and therefore decide that they overall don't like reading. I made these small booklets of recs, 8 pages or so, and she was super nice and said she'd order some of them in!! (Damn, should of put more books that I haven't read on that list!! There are so many!) Haha, but I will be displaying books, hopefully, this week! I will definitely show everyone when I'm done with it ;D

As well as the display, I have also managed to book an author. I initially wanted to get two authors in but soon realized that with the budget given, two is hard to fit as well as the fact that I had to find authors who people will want to turn up to an listen to talk. I'm really gutted about this part the most because I guess you say that I wanted to get authors in so I could meet them... Although in the end I ended up asking people who've I've actually already met! I also wanted to get an author to do a workshop (more because I wanted to sit through an authors' creative writing workshop) but that has also had to be put aside due to what I can o with the amount I have. But I have one author booked and I am totally happy about that!!

My first YA book club is THIS Friday, and I am totally dreading that no one will turn up (I know the poster inserted has the 21st March written on it - I got rid of the 7th date on it so I have premade posters for next week :P)

Trying to complete this running alongside my A2 classes is crazy hard and I am starting to wonder why they didn't get us to do this in the first year rather than the second year!

But anyway, I just thought I'd give you a little update on my plans...It's nice to just be able to write about it even if no one reads it...

- Hope everyone is having a great week!

Sabrina x

Celebration of UKYA: Event Planning

You may or may not have seen me on Twitter rambling on about something called the Gold Arts Award. At my college, every A2 student at my college has to take on what they call an "extension course." I chose the Arts Award as a way for which I could explore my creative writing. 

There is a split of two units (Unit One is the creative challenge and then Unit Two is the teaching others part) and I am currently working on Unit Two, with Unit One slowly working in the background. 

So Unit 2? Teaching others. It can also be an event or a series of workshops or lessons. I wanted to stick closely with my creative challenge and so have put myself forward to host a month celebration of UKYA (or YA novels in general!). 

For the year that I've been at my college, YA books seem to be disregarded. Thrown down as something "not as important" as classical literature. I want to show other students at my college that that is wrong and in a way it is much harder to write for a YA audience as we, well I think I do, don't have a very good tolerance of books that aren't enjoyable to oneself. I feel that adults are resilient with books if they don't seem as good to start with but on the other hand, for me sometimes that isn't the case! There is a equal or somewhat harder task for authors who target us and that shouldn't be looked upon as something "rubbish" or "less important" or "not gifted" in any way.

So at the end of January I wrote and gave my proposal to the English department to see whether I would get the go ahead. AND...I have!! 
My plan is to have this celebration in March, my rough plan so far goes something like this:

1st Week: YA book club sort of meeting/chat. Possible book swap.

2nd Week: Author visit - Talk

3rd Week: (Different) Author visit - Workshop

4th Week: YA book club sort of meeting/chat. Round Up. Possible book swap.

On top of this, I just recently gave the librarian at my college my proposal to also get them involved in it all. I want to display YA books and create recommendation card for which people can look over then possibly read. (Want in on that? Post a comment below with a title, author and a little summary of the book and why you recommend it!)

I think that the main reason though for my excitement is the fact that I get to work with something that I already love. Although, yes, this is going to be a drag, especially since I have my exams, but I am so excited to share what I love. Being hopeful, I hope that it really shows people that not everyone has to be into the classic sort of books. Where this could flop is that no one turns up to any of the events I host, take nothing away from it and they all just hate hate hate reading.  

But that's the last case scenario right? 

Sabrina x