Eight young writers show off their stories and poems at the BookMark Shoppe

October 24, 2017 Jaime DeJesus
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A group of young bookworms showed off their writing chops by presenting stories and poems they penned over the summer during a reading at the BookMark Shoppe, 8415 Third Avenue, on October 13.

The eight local kids, ages nine to 13, showcased their efforts during the Young Authors Book Release Celebration. The completed works they read were published in conjunction with a writing workshop, held at the store, in which they participated, under the tutelage of Bay Ridge Prep teacher Lisa Cappiello.

“It’s an ongoing series,” said Cappiello. “It’s a young writers’ workshop. The students learned fiction and poetry writing techniques in a fun, supportive environment and they were published, so their work is in a collection that is for sale at the bookstore and on Amazon. The intention is for them really to have a space where they can create and foster their writing skills and be published, which is super cool. I wish I had been published that young.”

Being immersed in the local bookstore boosted the kids’ creativity.  “It helped them being surrounded by books,” she said. “It’s just a great space and a good vibe. There’s so much community involvement and heart in that physical space.”

The program, for which there is a fee, is an open workshop for anyone that wanted to participate.

“With my guidance, they wrote a story and several poems and that’s what’s published in the book,” Cappiello added. “I’m so inspired by them. Throughout the process, I was impressed with their creativity and how open and supportive they were of each other. The dynamic was really great.”

As for the event where the kids showcased their work, it was considered a huge success. “The students stood up and shared a portion of their story and some of their poems with the audience, and they sold out, which never happened before,” she said. “There was also a book signing. They signed each other’s books and took pictures. It was really cool. They were blown away.”

She was very much impressed by the children’s hard work. “It was joyous, inspiring to me, and I was just really excited by not only their talent but their openness, and their ability to create and support one another and collaborate,” she said. “I’m also grateful to BookMark Shoppe Owner Christine Freglette, who is so supportive of activities like these.”

The eight students that participated in the workshop were Andrew Betro, Matthew Betro, Lucia Farley, Dominic Intervallo, Denis Methadzovic, Gabby Moniaci, Ryder Nuesell and Paris William Polatidis.

 

 

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