Students put test out their literacy skills
KING’S Students got some writing tips from an expert when a successful author visited the school.
Children’s writer Tim Bowler told pupils “You don’t ever master writing; you just spend your whole life trying to do it better.”
Tim, who won the prestigious Carnegie Medal in 1997 for that year’s best children’s book ‘River Boy’, started writing at the age of five, but was first published aged 40. He has now written 20 books, sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide, with his latest ‘The Night Runner’ winning him plaudits as the master of the children’s psychological thriller.
He said: “Many people have inspired me. My mother, my father, my wife, my friends. The vast majority of the people you meet in life have something inspirational about them and that is for you to discover in your own life and relationships.”
Lisa Snook, King’s Foundation Librarian, said: “It was fascinating to learn about the nuts and bolts of writing from an established professional who lives and breathes the written word. Tim is a wonderful communicator both as a writer and a speaker and I know our boys and girls were inspired by his series of lectures.”
One pupil who didn’t need any encouragement from Tim was Lauren Hayward.
The 15-year-old King’s School pupil beat young reciters from top schools across Cheshire with her recital of three great poems in the prestigious Poetry by Heart competition. She will now join up with 42 other county champions and travel to Homerton College Cambridge for the national finals.
Her achievement was all the more spectacular as the competition was open to 15 to 18-year-olds and Lauren was one of the youngest in the competition and is likely to be the youngest competitor at the national event.
Lauren, who wants to study English at university and ultimately work in the media, chose a pre 1914 poem by William Wordsworth ‘The Solitary Reaper’, a post 1914 poem by W.S. Graham ‘The Beast in the Space’ and her First World War poem ‘The Rain’ by Edward Thomas, which she said was her favourite.
She said: “I really enjoyed all the poems and felt I understood their complicated meanings and the wide range of emotions they covered.
“That is the key; to fully understand each poem so you can put yourself in the place of the author and be his or her mouthpiece.”