Savio’s, Faiza’s, and Shannon’s Blog- A Creative Writing Workshop with Nathanael Lessore

We are always excited to discover inspiring stories involving young individuals!

This blog post is from Savio, Faiza, and Shannon who had the opportunity to attend a Creative Writing Workshop, funded by our Leader Award Grant!

Students from City London Academy Highgate Hill at the Creative Writing workshop

An Unforgettable Workshop with Nathanael Lessore!

Savio’s experience

Attending Nathanael Lessore’s workshop was an experience I won’t forget anytime soon. His humour, honesty, and passion for storytelling made the session feel less like a workshop and more like an invitation into his creative world.

Nathanael began by sharing his journey as a writer, the highs, the lows, and the moments that shaped his career. He spoke about representation in literature and why authenticity in storytelling matters. Every word felt real, and by the time he finished, I was already thinking about how I could bring more honesty into my own writing.

But what made this workshop truly incredible were the interactive activities. One of the most exciting moments was when he told us to write a short story on the spot. No overthinking, no pressure, just creativity. The room buzzed as everyone jotted away, and when a few people shared their stories, it was amazing to hear the variety of ideas, creativity and perspectives.

Then came a thrilling surprise: Lessore announced that whoever crafted the most impressive short story would have their name featured in one of his own stories.

Suddenly, the stakes felt even higher, but rather than pressure, it added an extra spark of excitement. Everyone wanted to produce their best work, and the energy in the room was electric.

Nathanael challenged us to think deeply about our protagonists. His prompts pushed me to dig deeper, to move beyond stereotypes and create characters with heart.

By the end of the session, I felt energized, ready to take on my own creative journey with fresh inspiration. His workshop wasn’t just about writing, it was about embracing your unique voice, trusting your instincts, and knowing that your stories matter.

If you ever get the chance to attend one of his workshops, don’t hesitate. You’ll leave with new ideas, newfound confidence, and the drive to keep writing long after the session ends.

Four City London Academy- Highgate Hill students posing for a photograph. Three are holding up their writing and one is posing with one of Nathanel Lessore's books, King of Nothing

City London Academy- Highgate Hill students posing for a photograph at the workshop.

Why Faiza Loves Creative Writing

I have read 1 out of 3 of the books Nathanael Lessore has written and I would definitely recommend them to people who love to read humorous books. I have just recently finished reading King of Nothing which isn’t the type of book I would normally read but I decided to give it a go, and I absolutely loved it.

My favourite part of the workshop was definitely the creative writing part because creative writing helps me come up with new ideas and it helps me stay focused on a piece of writing because if I was told to write a story on a specific topic I would probably get bored 10 minutes after writing and leave it unfinished. Creative writing is definitely one of the things that help me to develop my critical thinking skills, and it is very enjoyable too.

Shannon’s Experience With Creative Writing

I had the opportunity to attend a workshop with the lovely Nathanael Lessore, an extremely talented author who has written books like ‘Steady for This’ and ‘King of Nothing.’ I hope to do it again someday!

Firstly, we were given these warm-up questions in order to get our creative juices flowing, for example, ‘What if giraffes were secretly plotting to take over the world? How would you stop them?’ And yes, that was actually one of the questions.

Next, we moved on to creating each of our stories. I wrote about a story that I started in October of last year for an English lesson when we were learning about sci-fi and dystopias. Because of limited time, I didn’t get to finish the story, but it did make me want to continue it. So, who knows? One day, you might see a book with my name on the front cover.

A Piece of Advice from Shannon

Finally, allow me to say a few words that will hopefully resonate with you.

You can do it. It can seem hard sometimes, but there are many people cheering you on and I am one of them. I have my pom-poms in hand and my vocal cords ready. I am usually a quiet person (other than with my family who were cursed with the fate of having to hear me yap about songs from EPIC: the Musical), but for you, it may be an exception. With a bit of resilience, the very things you have ever dreamed of will come true. Things like this take time, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see any results straight away.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you have a wonderful day and will be able to receive all the good things that this world has to offer. You deserve the best and you should treat others with love. Stay safe and be kind!