IGNITE CREATIVITY
THE STORY FORGE
The Story Forge Project is a new creative writing initiative for children in the Midlands. Through free, author-led workshops, we help young people explore storytelling, build confidence, and discover the power of their own voice.
Our
Story
Get to Know Us
The Story Forge Project was created to give children the space, tools, and encouragement to shape their own stories and build their confidence.
Founded by author Sarah Daniels, the project began with a simple belief: that every child has a voice worth hearing, and that creative writing can help unlock it. Based in Grantham, we offer free, author-led workshops that make storytelling playful, accessible, and empowering.
Our sessions focus on creativity, voice, and imagination so that children feel heard.
We’re starting small, but with big intentions: to build a lasting programme rooted in Grantham's community, and shaped by the stories of the children we serve.
Meet the Team
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Chair
Helen Tamblyn-Saville
Helen Tamblyn-Saville, a children's books specialist, is the owner and manager of Wonderland Bookshop, an independent children’s bookshop based in Retford, recognised as Children’s Bookseller of the Year in the 2025 British Book Awards. She holds an MA in Children’s Literature, earning a distinction for her dissertation, which explored gender roles in children's comics and graphic novels. Helen sits on the Booksellers Association Children’s Group and is a member of the World Book Day Strategic Advisory Group. She believes deeply in the transformative power of books and literature, and is currently working on a middle-grade novel.
Founder/Treasurer
Sarah Daniels
Sarah Daniels is an author and librarian based in rural Lincolnshire. A former archaeologist with a PhD from the University of Sheffield, she has published widely in both academic and creative fields. Her debut YA novel The Stranded (Penguin Random House and Sourcebooks Fire 2022) and its sequel The Exiled (2023) were published internationally, earning nominations for the Sheffield Children’s Book Award, the Awesome Book Awards, and the TSBA Book Award. Sarah has written for Doctor Who: Origin Stories (PRH 2023) and contributes essays and articles on culture, history, and society. She regularly leads workshops for schools, libraries, and writing organisations, with a focus on empowering young and underrepresented writers.
Secretary/Workshop Facilitator
Laura De Vivo
Laura De Vivo is a First Class Honours graduate of Nottingham Trent University and recipient of the Academic Creative Writing Prize. She has been published in several anthologies, had her plays performed live, and is a frequent contributor to the Nottingham Creative Writing Hub. Laura has collaborated on several projects including Re-imagining a Greek Myth with Confetti collage and the Our City our Stories project with the Nottingham City of Literature. Before attending university, Laura spent 30 years as a teaching assistant helping children achieve their full potential in all aspects of primary education. Laura is currently working on her first middle grade book, The Lyons and the Case of the Queen’s Amulet, and will be returning to NTU to study MA Creative Writing.