University College Alumna Nominated for Business Award

A former student at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, has been nominated for the 2013 Richmond Business Awards after launching her own creative writing business, Little Star Writing, in 2012. Melanie Taylor, who graduated in Creative and Professional Writing with Media Arts in 2009, has been nominated for the ‘Best New Start Up Business’ category, which recognises businesses that have been launched in the last two years. Inspired by her degree work, Melanie created Little Star Writing as a way to teach creative writing to children. Using a series of games, activities, competitions and group work, Little Star Writing encourages students and helps them to advance their writing skills in a fun and relaxed environment. Melanie said, “After graduating in 2009, we were in the middle of a recession and there were barely any jobs around. After writing the first 12,000 words of a children’s story for my dissertation, I decided I wanted to follow my passion for writing and try and get published. “I spent my evenings tutoring children and my days writing. A few months later, my dissertation turned into an 80,000 word novel and, in October 2010, one of the most renowned literacy agencies in the UK, Peter’s Fraser & Dunlop offered me representation. I then found myself writing two more follow-up stories and a series of 25 stories for younger readers.” After hearing of her literary agent’s change of career in 2012, Melanie found herself without representation. She wanted a creative job, but nothing she applied for really gave her the freedom she wanted. That was when she started thinking about teaching creative writing to children. After weeks of market research, Little Star Writing was born. Melanie continued, “I had the creative writing experience, but the Media Arts aspect of my degree also meant that I was able to create a logo, design an entire website and establish branding, something that would have cost me a fortune if I couldn’t do it myself.” Just a year since its launch, Little Star Writing has gone from strength to strength, with after-school workshops, storytelling seminars and author events, some of which are held at St Mary’s. What’s more Melanie has already been able to expand the business, hiring four tutors, all of who are trainee teachers at St Mary’s. Melanie added, “As we head into the second year of business, I would like to launch more workshops and hold a yearly Little Star Writing Festival, where children can meet their favourite authors. I’d like to be the writing version of Stage Coach, with workshops and venues all over the UK. “I enjoy every aspect of my job. I love coming to work knowing that I’m helping children improve their literacy skills and introducing them to the rewarding nature of creative writing. I love the freedom it gives me to write in my own time and I love how creative the job is, designing worksheets, planning lessons, marking the children’s work and helping them write. I also enjoy knowing that I’ve utilised my degree and that I can provide some part-time work for St Mary’s students. “It is hard and I work seven days a week. I am solely in charge of all administrative duties, web design, advertising, finances, HR tasks, hiring, interviewing, worksheet design, purchasing stock, customer service, and research and development, but I wouldn’t change anything. “I am very excited and honoured to have been nominated to the ‘Best New Start Up Business’ at the Richmond Business Awards this year.” The annual Richmond Business Awards is hosted by the Richmond and Twickenham Times and the Richmond Borough Chamber of Commerce. It aims to honour the achievements of the borough’s most successful businesses. For more information about Little Star Writing, please visit the website.