Located in
Hoxton, a district in the
London Borough of Hackney, England, The Ministry of Stories was founded in 2010 by the British author
Nick Hornby and co-directors Lucy Macnab and Ben Payne. The company provides mentoring and advice to young writers, relying on the work of volunteer writers, teachers and artists. The MoS aims to inspire young people to transform their lives through creative writing. The company works closely with schools, supporting teachers, but also provides one-to-one mentoring for young people to enjoy imaginative stories, improve language skills, increase abilities in communication, and develop social and educational confidence. As of late 2012, 5,000 young people have taken part in activities sponsored by the MoS. About 500 trained volunteers have contributed to the effort, as have writers including
Joe Dunthorne,
David Nicholls and
Zadie Smith, as well as actors
Colin Firth and
Emma Thompson. The MoS is patterned after
Dave Eggers'
826 Valencia, founded in 2002 in San Francisco, and
Roddy Doyle's Fighting Words, founded in 2009 in Dublin. The MoS receives funding from the
Arts Council England. ==Hoxton Street Monster Supplies==