1, 2, 3, 4…and just like that, it’s Day 5!
It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the final day of the 2026 Young Writers’ Workshop!
The morning began with our young writers sharing their favorite moments from the week. They reflected on all the memories they had made together, mentioning highlights such as listening to one another’s readings, finding inspiration in each other’s work, visiting Hale Library, playing games, meeting fellow young writers, creating maps, and so much more. It was a wonderful reminder of just how much creativity, friendship, and fun had filled the week.
The young writers then headed off on a short walk to the Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab for one final adventure.
There, Carolyn Jackson, Associate Professor and Librarian at K-State, introduced our young writers to the fascinating world of publishing and bookbinding. She began by asking a simple question: “What do you do when you want to learn something?” Answers ranged from Googling information to asking parents and older relatives. From there, she took us on a journey through the history of publishing, explaining how people once wrote on papyrus in ancient Egypt long before paper made from wood pulp became common.
Carolyn introduced our young writers to the anatomy of a book –the head, tail, spine, and text block– and even demonstrated how books are taken apart and put back together. We learned that “jogging” is the process of aligning pages before binding and that binding itself is designed with a book’s lifetime and purpose in mind.
Then came the fun part: pamphlet binding!
Armed with paper, thread, needles, awls, bone folders, and plenty of creativity, our young writers stepped into the role of bookmakers. They carefully folded their pages, aligned them with their covers, punched three holes, and threaded everything together. There were a few knots, plenty of concentration, and lots of excitement –and before long, voilà! Everyone had created their own handmade books.
Afterwards, we returned to the UMB Auditorium where the young writers spent time preparing for the moment they had been working toward all week –the final reading.
Following a pizza lunch from AJ’s, we welcomed parents, family members, English Department faculty, and friends to celebrate the creativity and hard work of our young writers.
Dr. Payne opened the afternoon with welcoming remarks and expressed gratitude to the staff, donors, and supporters who made this workshop possible.
Then came one of the most heartwarming moments of the week. Each instructor introduced our young writers.
As each instructor introduced their writers, they captured the personalities that had shone so brightly over the last five days:
Mystical and mindful Morgan
Hilarious and hardworking Harrison
Charismatic, cheerful, and courageous Caity
Marvellous and merry Mishall
Insightful, imaginative, and inspiring Ian
One by one, our young writers shared their work, and the room was filled with applause, laughter, and admiration for all they had accomplished. Our young writers were also awarded certificates as physical evidence of all their hard work!
What a joy it has been to watch these young writers grow, create, and support one another throughout the week.
We are deeply grateful to our donors, the staff and faculty of the English Department, and especially our department head, Dr. Westman, for making this experience possible.
And to our young writers: we know this is only the beginning. We can’t wait to see the amazing things you will create, and we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.
To our readers: thank you for following along on this journey. We hope to see you again next year!
-Ruth Okon, Program Assistant
K-State Young Writers' Workshop 