The Story Nest grew from a love of stories, a belief in the power of imagination, and the idea that creative writing doesn’t need to happen behind a desk or within four classroom walls (although it can!)

We’re a travelling creative writing studio, bringing playful, inspiring, and low-pressure workshops directly to individual young people, groups and communities. We create a space where young writers can experiment, wonder, make mistakes and discover just how much they have to say, and that there is no ‘right’ way to say it.

Founded by children’s author, experienced educator and autistic creative Hayley Webster, The Story Nest brings together professional storytelling experience with an understanding that young people think, learn and creative in wonderfully different ways. There’s no single ‘right’ way to be a writer. We want children to find their own voice, follow their curiosity and experience the joy of turning an idea into something that is entirely theirs.

Our starting point is there is no ‘right’ or ‘best’ topic for a story. Inspiration is everywhere. Nature. Food. Aliens. Spies. Fairies. A field full of golden coins. A cat. A dog. A bird.

We took the focus away from spelling and structure - although we can help you with that too if you’d like - and asked, ‘If you could tell a story, your way, what would it be like?’ and we help you tell it.