News and Events

May 2024 - Anyone Can Be Anything

We are pleased to announce the launch of the ‘Anyone Can Be Anything’ anthology produced by Liz Jennings, in collaboration with Pyxis.

The book is a collection of 36 short stories, poems, scripts and creative non-fiction by writers all over the UK aged between 10 and 24.

Liz is a Canterbury-based writer who has been volunteering with Pyxis.Social groups since 2021. As Liz listened to our members speak in Pyxis, she learned that one of the challenges for many of our groups members was having things to put onto their CV or personal statement. This seemed in part connected to how difficult the school system is for many young autistic people, and how much of their energy is expended surviving that.

We wanted to change this. We knew our youth group members to be vibrant, interesting and creative and that we could help facilitate a way for them to show that. We put the call out across our own youth groups, and then reached out to include other networks for young people who connected with the values of Pyxis. They were thrilled at the opportunity to be involved in the project.

Writing began flowing in: stories of life with autism as well as stories about cats in space, poems addressing subjects from racism to bullying to puppies. Mystery stories and atmospheric, spooky tales. The quality was fabulous, and the work exciting and fresh. The name was suggested by one contributor, while the artwork for the cover was produced by another. The book has been published by local Canterbury small press, Lioness Writing Limited, and was printed on a limited print run for contributors. Feedback has been very encouraging, and those who took part (many of whom are not able to attend school) have expressed feeling great pride in their achievement. We are delighted that they have something concrete to put onto a CV or personal statement, but most of all that they are feeling pride in themselves.

In reflecting on the anthology, Liz said, ‘Each time I reread the anthology, I’m struck by just how good it all is, and how varied. It’s a book of sheer joy to read through in one sitting, or to dip in and out of. It takes great courage to share your writing publicly, and every contributor should feel rightly proud. I hope that they will all continue writing, as they all had such distinctive and exciting voices, and it enriches readers’ lives to hear them.’

Further copies can be obtained for £5 by contacting Liz at lizjenningscreative@gmail.com. All funds raised from the book will go to support the work of Pyxis.