October 3rd 2024
Over 200 children attend literary events
Pre-Prep
Petr Horacek was absolutely mesmerising. He had such a wonderfully warm and quirky personality and completely captured the children's imagination with his tales of his grandmother’s menagerie and the cottage that he enjoys staying in each year. He read a number of his books such as Elephant and A Best Friend for Bear and brought them to life with his humourful delivery. Petr drew as he spoke - these line drawings were exceptional and his storytelling sublime. The Pre-Prep children have already tried to illustrate and use colours as he demonstrated and will certainly cherish their signed copy of Blue Monster.
Year 4
The pupils in Year 4 enjoyed a morning of laughter and creativity on Wednesday. They were fortunate enough to listen to the wonderful Cressida Cowell (How to Train Your Dragon) share her childhood experiences on a Scottish Island and how the island itself inspired her to create the legendary ‘Island of Berk’. The boys learned that the world needs creative minds and that reading books is crucial when it comes to developing your creativity. During the presentation, the boys had the opportunity to create their own dragons, as well as find out about many of the real-life creatures that Cressida had combined to create the dragons in her books. She also introduced us to the eclectic mix of characters in her new ‘Which Way to Anywhere’ series of books. The boys left with their own signed copies and they were noticeably quieter on the trip home as so many had already entered her next magical world.
Year 5
Year 5 had a delightful experience at the Henley Literary Festival on Thursday. The boys had the pleasure of listening to Hannah Gold as she shared her inspiration for her beloved book series, including her latest release, Turtle Moon. Throughout her talk, Hannah opened up about her family and pets, creating a warm and relatable atmosphere that encouraged students to think about their own creative journeys.
One fascinating highlight was learning about the Leatherback Sea Turtle, the largest turtle species, which can grow up to an impressive 2.7 metres. This engaging fact not only captured the boys’ attention but also underscored the importance of marine conservation, a theme that resonates throughout her work.
After her presentation, the boys eagerly participated in a lively Q&A session, asking thoughtful questions about her writing process and experiences as an author. To cap off the morning, each student left with a signed copy of Turtle Moon, making the experience even more special. Overall, it was a wonderful event that inspired us all to explore our own creativity and storytelling potential.
Year 6
Year 6 had a thoroughly enjoyable time at Henley Literary festival on Monday. We listened to Joseph Coelho (OBE) a British poet and children's book author who was Children's Laureate from 2022 to 2024. Joseph was promoting his new book Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunters which we hope the boys all enjoy reading. We were fortunate enough to gain an insight into how the book linked to Joseph’s previous job and his love for history. He even read his favourite passage for us including an AI robot. Through the talk Joseph explained what made him want to write from visiting authors at school when he was a child, what inspired him as a writer and the perseverance needed on his journey. He explained that the process of becoming a published writer took him 15 years and that, like many writers, writing is so subjective and there are lots of differing opinions on his writing. He also complimented the children on the challenging questions they asked him such as ‘if you could only read books by one author, who would it be?’ It was a very enjoyable morning listening to an inspirational children’s author who very much endorsed being curious in the world around us and having courage in yourself.
