Lasts

Ali Sparkes is a children’s author who leads writing sessions for Junior and Young Writers every Saturday morning at MAST Mayflower Studios. To learn more about her, visit her website: https://www.alisparkes.com and click on her profile: https://artfulscribe.co.uk/facilitators/ali-sparkes

Susan L. Edser, MA graduate in Creative Writing and Publishing and winner of Bournemouth University’s prestigious Vice Chancellor Award 2024, is Ali’s assistant and writes the weekly blog. To learn more about her, click on her profile: https://artfulscribe.co.uk/facilitators/susan-l-edser

Today’s session was one of lasts: the last chance to work through the scripts for Play Creators and the last time I would be Ali’s lovely assistant [audible crying from everyone]. Ali had also lost her voice, which was a hoarse whisper, and she could only communicate through a whiteboard and telepathic communication with me. That might be a slight exaggeration, but suffice to say, our eighteen months of working together paid off.

We began the Junior session with a warm-up song and dance, while one of the writers had a read-through and consultation with Ali. Then collectively, the groups assigned a person for each character, and we had a full script read-through. This gave us all the chance to hear what Ali had added in the week and see if there were any changes the groups wanted to make.

The Junior and Young Writers acted out their scripts and enjoyed bringing their hard work to life. Zena offered dramatic sound effects, with her background knocking and spine-chilling screaming being particularly effective. There was also music thrown in, such as YMCA for the Junior Writers and a rewrite of Coldplay’s Yellow, to fit with the organ harvesting for The Psychopath Next Door. As a group, with little prompting, we performed angelic harmonies when required. There was applause for everyone, but especially for Ali, who had worked on the scripts in between sessions to help bring the writer’s ideas to fruition.

Then, it was time for the goodbyes. I have been lucky enough to be Ali Sparkes’ assistant facilitator with the Junior and Young Writers for the last year and a half, but sadly, it is time to move on. As a parting gift, I bought magic and lucky pens for the children and young people, which the Junior Writers quickly named a ‘Sue Pen’. For Ali, I racked my brains: what to get a successful author who has everything? What any self-respecting one needs: a megaphone, of course! She will now always be heard above the noise of excited writers.

They gave me flowers, cards and chocolates, but something else that I was deeply touched by and will treasure forever: a scarf with personal messages from them all. They wrote notes such as ‘It takes a big heart to shape young minds’, ‘You joining this club was the best choice ever’, along with a reminder that Ali and I will end up retired off to the Isle of Wight!

They all promised to look after Ali, use their Sue Pens each week, and remember me if they become rich and famous. In two weeks’ time, Amelia will be the new assistant facilitator, and they will need to train her in Toilet Queue I-Spy and how to be Ali’s DJ. So, Amelia, enjoy, you are in for a treat! But, in the meantime, it’s tally ho from me. Until next time…

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Lasts