Despite the odds stacked against her favour, Brigitte Rozario, a writer, editor, and trainer who runs the Junior Writers Programme, ended 2020 with a high note.

The former deputy editor from The Star not only was able to conduct her programme online successfully between January to July, but she also published an anthology of short stories from 20 young writers who were part of the programme.

Titled Lives Under Lockdown: A Young Writers’ Anthology, the book published by MPH Group Publishing, showcases stories from young writers between the ages of 11 and 15 pertaining to the nationwide quarantine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This post was copied and pasted from Eksentrika. 

Rozario’s seven-month long programme is designed to teach kids the basics of writing fiction. Part of the programme’s syllabus include literary techniques and concepts involving introduction, dialogue, building characters, descriptions, action, plot, conclusion, plot holes, and editing.

Before the end of the seven months, the young writers are then informed of the theme for the year’s book.

“They have to send me a plot, and together, we tweak it and make it believable and interesting. Then they have to write their story. I work with them on the story, suggesting improvements until we are both happy with it. The stories then go to MPH’s editors,” Rozario explained.

However, it was not an easy feat due to the pandemic, as you’ll learn in our email interview with Rozario.

Hey there Brigitte, can you share with us how the Junior Writers Programme came about? 

It really started with one family reaching out to me. Their daughter loved to write and wrote all the time and the parents didn’t know how to support her passion and interest. I empathised with her; she reminded me of myself when I was younger.

So, I agreed to teach her and another girl creative writing. That went well, so, the next year, I came up with the idea of the Junior Writers Programme. I wanted to make it exclusive so entry was by application only, and this involved submitting a story they had written.

I would select 20 of the most promising writers. I also wanted to share with them the whole experience of being a published writer, so I didn’t just arrange for a book at the end of the programme, but a launch as well. This made the programme attractive to young writers.

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How challenging was it for you to conduct the Junior Writers Programme online in 2020? 

When we were in a classroom, I could check what the young writers wrote by just walking around the room. This helped me monitor the writers and ensure they were on the right track.

With online classes, I couldn’t check as easily. I had to ask them to share with me what they had done, and this didn’t always happen because some would need more time.

To ensure they delivered good stories, I offered more assistance and guidance. I told them to email or WhatsApp me if they were unsure at any point. So, this year, many of the young writers emailed me as they wrote their stories rather than when they were done. This gave them confidence and I knew how they were progressing.

This is the third instalment of the Junior Writers Programme. Would there be a 4th instalment in 2021?

Yes, there is another programme next year. The batch of 20 has already been selected. Normally, the young writers can apply in October and by mid-November, I tell them if they’ve been accepted.

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What’s the criteria like for the Junior Writers Programme and how can people apply for it?

They would need to apply by sending in a story which is 1,000-2,000 words long. I select the best writers based on command of language and storytelling skills.

It’s too late for 2021. Hopefully, there will be another programme in 2022. I usually announce the programme on my Facebook page in late September.

Lives Under Lockdown: A Young Writers’ Anthology is priced at RM32.90 and can be bought at all MPH bookstores in Malaysia. Royalties from the sale of the book go to SOLS Health’s community centres.

This post was copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

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All images in this post were supplied by Brigitte Rozario.