The first Young Authors’ Conference was held in 1980. It was the brainchild of Terry Burns who then was the librarian at F. H. Collins Senior Secondary School in Whitehorse, Yukon. He created the Young Authors’ Conference to be the local cornerstone of the Canada-wide National Writers’ Festival which began in 1979.
That first Conference in April 1980 had 33 students from five Yukon schools working with three visiting authors, Susan Musgrave, John Lazarus and David McFadden.
Student participation in the Conference has always been entirely voluntary. Those who wish to join the two day festival submit writing to a school appointed Selection Committee. Because there are only a fixed number of seats available, the Selection Committee chooses students for the Conference based on the quality of their writing.
The purpose of the conference is:
While few students will become professional authors, we have had a number of participants go on to study creative writing and journalism. And many others continue to write simply for the joy of writing.
That first Conference in April 1980 had 33 students from five Yukon schools working with three visiting authors, Susan Musgrave, John Lazarus and David McFadden.
Student participation in the Conference has always been entirely voluntary. Those who wish to join the two day festival submit writing to a school appointed Selection Committee. Because there are only a fixed number of seats available, the Selection Committee chooses students for the Conference based on the quality of their writing.
The purpose of the conference is:
- to encourage students who have interest and potential in writing to pursue their interest and develop their potential;
- to make students more aware of Canadian writers and the vast array of their stories;
- to introduce students to successful Canadian writers;
- to introduce Yukon young writers to each other.
While few students will become professional authors, we have had a number of participants go on to study creative writing and journalism. And many others continue to write simply for the joy of writing.