As creativity blooms this spring, students engaged in discussion and deepened their interests in creative writing at the annual Writers Festival April 12.  Faculty from Sacred Heart Greenwich, Greenwich Academy (GA), and Brunswick School hosted this immersive event for students to expand their knowledge of creative writing and interact with guest poets, screenwriters, and authors.  The host schools also invited students from Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS) to attend this year.

The Festival at GA began with speeches from each of the guest authors who shared their own work and experiences.  Students also had the opportunity to ask them questions and learn from their experiences, gaining insight into the process of writing and their unique stories.  Then, the host schools handed out books and works from each of the authors which were available for signing.  Junior Olivia Figueiredo reflected on why she wanted to attend the Writers Festival this year and what she hoped to gain.

“The primary reason that I wanted to attend the Writers Festival this year was because I remember how impactful it was when I went my [f]reshman year,” Olivia said.  “I remember having met so many new people, learning new forms of writing, and simply immersing myself in the different workshops.  I loved writing freely and for myself and this is always the perfect opportunity to do that again when time hasn’t been so generous.  I hope to gain more knowledge about screenwriting as one of this year’s guests, Roberto Patiño, is a producer, screenwriter, and showrunner.”

Each guest speaker led smaller workshops, which allowed students to explore creative writing and hone their skills with active feedback.  The Festival welcomed poet Mr. Peter LaBerge, screenwriter Mr. Roberto Patiño, and novelist Ms. Kathleen Willett to share their writing and spark students’ own creativity.  Olivia commented on how participating in the workshops helped to grow her writing.

“I believe that this event helps students explore different forms of writing that they wouldn’t necessarily experiment with on their own,”  Olivia said.  “The workshops, in particular allow students the opportunity to hone their creative skills with a community that is equally as passionate about writing as they are.  My favorite part was creating a fictional movie and learning how to pitch it in less than fifty words.  I loved experimenting and building a world with the class at the workshop, and in the end, we added a lot of funny details to the story summary.”

Each speaker offered valuable insight into various careers.  Ms. Willett is the author of Mother of All Secrets and Anything for a Friend.  She has also written for a number of publications, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.  Mr. LaBerge is a poet, writer, editor, and founder of the Adroit Journal.  His poems have appeared in American Poetry Review, Best New Poets, The Kenyon Review, New England Review, and Pleiades.  Mr. Patiño is a screenwriter, showrunner, and producer, best known for his work on the Netflix show Zero Day.  He also famously wrote the script for the film Cut Bank, starring Mr. Liam Hemsworth, Mr. John Malkovich, and Mr. Billy Bob Thorton.  The Writers Guild of America nominated Mr. Patiño for awards for Best Drama Series and Best New Series.  Mr. Patiño’s workshop in this year’s Writers Festival featured his work in Zero Day, and he described the filmmaking and screenwriting processes.

Junior Ellie Furman shared her favorite part of the event this year.  She discussed how the Writers Festival fosters student writing, encourages each student to embrace their creativity, and delves into writing styles they find intriguing.  She explained how Mr. Patiño’s workshop about screenwriting encouraged her interest in filmmaking.

“I really enjoyed the [W]riters [F]estival this year, particularly the segment where we were able to pick a workshop in something that we were interested in,” Ellie said.  “As I am interested in filmmaking, I thought that the workshop on screenwriting would be fascinating.  I was able to absorb so much information about the screenwriting process, careers in filmmaking, and the many opportunities that this industry has, opening my eyes to the many possibilities for my future.”

Featured Image by Avery Quake ’26