As part of the Isle of Wight Literary Festival, we were delighted to welcome three fantastic authors to inspire our pupils last week.

Ben Mercer was first to visit, speaking to our Year 10s about his experiences as a professional rugby player, navigating expectations and change, and developing his love of literature. He shared how his experiences inspired him to write a book, as well as discussing his ongoing career as an author and his passion for promoting reading.

Liz Hyder led an exciting storytelling workshop with our Year 7s. Inspired by a collection of hats, pupils worked together to create characters and develop imaginative ideas. It was wonderful to see everyone so enthusiastic and engaged, coming up with some fantastic and creative stories!

Lastly, Nicholas Bowling entertained and inspired a group of our Year 8s with a wonderfully funny and engaging talk about the stories he has written and the inspiration and motivation behind his work.

We are incredibly grateful to Ben, Liz and Nicholas for giving their time so generously and sharing their passion for reading, writing and storytelling with our pupils. It has been a pleasure to host them all, and we loved seeing our pupils’ enthusiasm, imagination and creativity flourish throughout the week!