On Writing for Young People: Conference 2025
On Writing for Young People: a 2-day online conference. Ideas & insights in the academic field of creative writing for kids & YA. 20-21 Nov.
Location
Online
Good to know
Highlights
- 72 days, 8 hours, 30 minutes
- Online
Refund Policy
About this event
On Writing for Young People: Conference 2025
Thursday 20 November & Friday 21 November; 08:30-17:00 (UK time); 100% Online
On Writing for Young People is a two-day online conference to discuss ideas & insights in the academic field of creative writing for children and Young Adults.
Leaf Journal's annual conference runs this year on Thursday 20 November & Friday 21 November. It is intended for an audience of creative writers and practitioners for young people with an academic interest in the field. They will enjoy a stimulating mix of invited keynote, panel presentations from our wider community and writing workshops. We are thrilled to announce our conference keynote speaker is Abie Longstaff, best-selling author of The Fairytale Hairdresser series and Chair of the Society of Authors' Children's Writers and Illustrators Group.
The conference hosts speakers from the UK, India, Egypt, USA and beyond. They will deliver papers on a wide range of issues from ways to engage reluctant readers, to representations of masculinity, social justice in historical fiction and more.
We will also host practical writing workshops and networking opportunities.
[Link to the Schedule to follow in October]
Feedback from a previous Conference:
‘Thank you so much for your organisation of the conference. It was a delightful two days to spend in the company of people with passion for children’s literature and writing, and the baked-in inclusivity was truly eye-opening.’
The Format
The conference takes place 100% online, using Zoom. All the panel papers are pre-recorded and made available to delegates in advance of the conference via Google Drive. These should be watched asynchronously (in your own time). On the 20-21 November we will meet live, online, to hear the keynote, to take part in the workshops and to host Q&A sessions with the panellists. These Q&As will be recorded and added to Google Drive. The keynote and workshops will not be recorded and are only available to delegates who attend live. All material on the Drive will remain available until 1 February 2026 to allow delegates to catch up on anything they missed.
Ticket Costs:
Bath Spa MA Writing for Young People students on the 2025 'Forms, Ages and Stages' module, your conference ticket is included in your degree programme; there is no need for you to purchase a ticket.
-
Speakers (panelists, workshop leaders, panel chairs): Free
Waged: £32
Unwaged (inc. students and part-time working): £22
Attendees in the Global South: £5
Post-conference access to the Drive recordings only (panel papers and Q&A sessions). These tickets will be on sale 22 Nov-31 Jan 2026. Access to the recordings ceases on 1 Feb 2026: £8
-
Any questions about the conference should be directed to LeafJournal@bathspa.ac.uk.
Any and all revenue from the conference will be re-invested in 'Leaf Journal' to ensure its long-term feasibility, and to widen access to scholarly publishing.
Frequently asked questions
The conference papers will be pre-recorded and you will receive a link to those videos approx 10 days before the conference begins. You should watch the papers at your leisure. On 20-21 November, the live elements will take place on Zoom.
On 20-21 November, the keynote speaker will present live. The panelists, who will have pre-recorded their talks, will be available for live Q&As. They won't be repeating the content of the pre-recorded talks. The workshops will also be live.
The panelists will pre-record their papers. The Q&As will happen live on 20-21 November and will be recorded. The keynote speeches and workshops will NOT be recorded.
The papers will be available for you to view at your leisure approx ten days before the conference via Google Drive The Q&As will be recorded and uploaded to Google Drive. All Drive content will be available for you to view until 1st Feb 2026.
No. But you will need sign-up for a free Zoom account, if you have not done so before. You can do that on the Zoom page: https://zoom.us/
There will be a post-conference ticket on sale between 22 Nov-31 January 2026. It costs £8. It will give you access to the recorded panel papers and Q&As. It will not give you access to the keynote or the workshops. Access to the recordings ceases on 1 Feb 2026.
Organised by
Followers
--
Events
--
Hosting
--