Readers captivated by new book on difficult conversations by Berwick teenagers

As an initiative spanning multiple subjects, students in Year 9 worked on the project first in history classes and then in English classes.

The result was a range of poems, short sagas and drama scripts, with the best entries included in the book entitled ‘To the Heart of Difficult Conversations’.

It began as a commission by Berwick Literary Festival and local storyteller Chris Adriaanse, funded by Create Berwick.

“Some of the students’ work is moving, some of it is amusing and all of it reflects what it’s like to be young and learning to navigate relationships,” said one reader, whilst another said she “cried all the way through”.

The inspiration was a small plaque on one of the houses in historic Berwick that spoke about two tense meetings of kings and nobles from England and Scotland in the late 1200s.

Chris, who worked with the teachers while also researching the plaque, said: “The theme was a way of engaging young people in the local history.

“The topic of difficult conversations was something that could bridge that gap and gave the students the freedom to explore what mattered to them.”

The book was designed by Berwick-based artist Anna Parker, inspired by the handwritten entries, and also includes a history of the plaque in addition to several folktales.

Berwick Literary Festival director Andrew Deuchar, said: “The students’ work has been profoundly moving and surprising, demonstrating what happens when you allow students to express themselves freely.

“One of the responsibilities under the UN Charter of the Rights of Children is to ensure that the voices of young people are heard. This project clearly and proudly supports that.”

The book was launched at The Maltings during the festival in October and has begun to find a wider audience.

Ben Ryder, assistant headteacher at Berwick Academy, said: “The project allowed our students to explore both their creativity and an important period of our local history. The book serves as a lasting reminder of their contributions.”

As for the research into the plaque, it turned out that there was little based on historical evidence.

“There remains a bit of a mystery surrounding the plaque in ‘Parliament Square’ in Tweedmouth as the current historic evidence does not back up the claims,” said Coun Georgina Hill, county councillor for Berwick East, who raised awareness of the plaque in 2023.

“This has been an excellent project for our young people to get involved with and Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal have plenty more fascinating history to explore.”

The book is available to purchase at www.chrisadriaanse.co.uk/difficult-conversations – all profits will go to the festival for its schools programme for 2025.