Starry stories

A dark skies themed writing challenge for children and families as part of North Pennines Stargazing Week 2020

We have been working on Fellfoot Fables, a virtual creative writing project, along with Katie Hale, a poet based in the Eden Valley. Now the clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in, Katie would like to hear your poems or words about stargazing and being outside in the dark.

The North Pennines is the darkest mainland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with 86% pristine skies and very little light pollution. On a clear, dark night, we will see thousands of stars and enjoy unrivalled views of our home galaxy – the Milky Way.

For this creative writing challenge, first watch Katie’s video to give you some inspiration or you can use one of our online activities to help you discover more about our amazing dark skies. You might want to sit quietly in your garden, watch the stars and listen. Visit the North Pennines Stargazing Week page for more information. You can also join in the activity on social media using the hashtags #NorthPennStarWeek20 and #NPennDarkSkies.