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Cathy FitzGerald visits the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company.

Cathy FitzGerald visits the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company to hear about the work of 826, an American nonprofit dedicated to helping children improve their writing skills.

The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company has everything the pint-sized hero could need. The shelves are full of grappling hooks, tights, deflector bracelets, and bottles of anti-gravity, invisibility pellets, as well as a full range of superpowers available by tin. 

But those in the know head for the trick bookcase at the back of the store. Behind it, there's a secret room where children from 6 to 18 come for writing classes. All levels are catered for - there's free after-school tutoring and homework help, along with weeknight and weekend workshops for budding authors.

The store is part of 826, an American non-profit dedicated to helping children improve their writing skills. It has outposts or "chapters" around the US, each with a different cover story, ranging from robots in Detroit to time-travel in LA. 

Cathy FitzGerald visits the New York and Boston chapters to meet the organisation's staff and the brilliant young writers they encourage, including Legacy Thornton, Khatazja Harrison and Tariq Jaden Charles.


A White Stiletto production for BBC Radio 4

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