BUDDING authors are being given the chance to pen their own books and even have them published.

Children are being offered the chance to take part in the creative workshops that are aimed at stimulating the youngster’s imagination and encourage them to write and illustrate their own story.

The course culminates with the children’s very own book signing event. The workshops are run by Chocolate Muffin Publishing, the brainchild of author and illustrator Kate Day.

She said: “When I was looking into creating books for children it struck me there wasn’t anything like this around where the youngsters would actually be able to produce a book at the end of it.

“Creating something and having a physical book at the end of it gives the children such a confidence boost and the whole process really sparks their imagination.

“It does wonders for their self esteem particularly of the child isn’t a very confident writer. We can give them the help they need to produce their own work.”

Currently the courses are run within a number of schools in the Southampton area for an hour a week after class.

Aimed primarily at children aged from around 8 to 11 there are plans to expand to it to other age groups. Workshops also run at weekends and during school holidays, open to any youngster who wants to sign up. At the start of the course the children are given a creative writing pack that includes everything they need to create their own masterpiece. The sessions then guide the children through the process of creating and telling a story using their own ideas and themes. Once completed their work is then be produced as a book, available for friends and family and the public to buy.

Kate said: “The children invite all their friends and family and they are just so proud to see what they have produced.”

The course costs £45 to £55 which includes the tuition, all materials and the printing, binding and publishing costs. The book is then available to buy on the Chocolate Muffin website and Amazon.

• To find out more about the course or to book a place log on to chocolate-muffin.com or call 07791 497991.