Tag: school visit
Wintry Manifestations
As winter draws in, the wild Frances moults its cool summer coat, and grows a new (indistinguishably similar) winter coat. Although shy, it can still sometimes be sighted in urban areas by the diligent Frances-spotter.
Ahem.
On December 10th, I visited Goldsmiths College, London University in order to give a guest seminar for the students of the Creative Writing MA course.
The subject was “strange fictions”, a very broad topic, so I focussed upon a few pitfalls and thoughts for the fantasy writer, with reference to my own work and the books that had inspired me. Many thanks to Maura Dooley for inviting me, and to the students for asking such erudite and well-considered questions!
Swanshurst School‘s second Year 7 Literary Festival was held on 15th December. (It’s apparently the largest girls’ school in Europe, and has a rather splendid model of the solar system spread out across the grounds.)
Aside from myself, the guests included Sally Nicholls, Katrice Horsley, Spoz, Leila Rasheed, Bali Rai, Tony de Saulles, Jodi Anne Bickley and Helen Monks. There were creative writing workshops, storytelling sessions, art classes that produced gleeful pictures of dead cartoon dogs and elephant poo, chocolate-themed rapping, author talks and poetry.
I gave two author presentations and one creative writing workshop. There were some fine character ideas, including a Medusa whose dearly loved family had been killed by humans, and who managed to get her revenge after achieving world domination. (Always nice to see old stories turned around and seen from a new perspective.)
Congratulations to Gareth Beniston, Tracy and the other school librarians on organising such an exciting and varied event. A big thank you also to Ella and Mia for looking after me during my visit!
ChipLitFest
I was lucky enough to be invited to the Chipping Norton Literary Festival, now in its second year. The hotel booked for visiting authors turned out to be, um, a bit grand in places.
Next morning, kindly and well-organised volunteers ferried us to Jaffe & Neale (a wondrous bookshop/cafe with timber beams and a fine range of cake). I was then taken to Middle Barton Primary where I performed before a mixture of Years 4, 5 and 6. There followed discussions of octopi, hats and the relative evilness of sisters.
During the book signing, some students found themselves with 1p change after buying their book, and decided to donate it to the author as a ‘tip’. This has now been added to my savings.
We returned to Jaffe & Neale for lunch in the ‘green room’, where a happy collection of writers and illustrators were plied with tea, cake, sandwiches and elderflower cordial.
