Pen group for prose passion- Budding writers Damian Coluccio, Penny Mitchell and Emily Greco

By Tania Martin
BUDDING hills authors with a passion for prose are being urged to join a new young writers’ group.
The first meeting of the group was held at Belgrave Library last week.
But more people are needed to join.
Teacher and author Elizabeth Fensham started the group after an young Monbulk writer came to her for advice.
Emily Greco was looking for something for young writers in the hills.
“There was nothing around for young people that I knew of,” Ms Fensham said. “A light bulb went off in my head and it wasn’t a hard thing to organise.”
Ms Fensham said there were so many young people who loved writing.
“We teach so many young people that we don’t always have time for them at school because you have to teach so many things in the current curriculum,” she said.
“You are actually short changing the kids who love writing.”
Ms Fensham said unless schools had some sort of support program there was nothing for gifted students who want to pursue a writing career.
She has started a scholarship program where she teaches at Mountain District Christian School outside Monbulk.
Two of the group’s members, Penny and Damian, have won one of the scholarships which pairs students up with published writers.
“We team them up with writers for a couple of sessions of mentoring,” Ms Fensham said.
Ms Fensham hopes the new group would grow to include up to nine budding writers.
She said the meetings, which will be held on alternate Wednesdays at the Belgrave Library, would be a great opportunity for young people to workshop their work. “We are also thinking of getting someone each term to come along and talk about how they write and listen to these kids and give them some hints,” Ms Fensham said. But she has warned the group was not for those who were thinking about giving writing a try.
“It’s for truly passionate writers who are already writing… for serious writers,” Ms Fensham said. The next meeting will be held on 24 March from 5pm to 6.30pm.
Anyone interested can call Ms Fensham on 0439 756 655.