Author Visit
Piers Torday
On Wednesday 19th September
the award-winning children’s author, Piers Torday, came to visit St Joseph’s.
Piers Torday is a British Children’s
writer and winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for his book ‘The
Dark Wild’.
His new book, ‘The Lost Magician’, is
his homage to ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis. It is about
four evacuee children during the Second World War who discover a magical
kingdom.
Years 4, 5, and 6 were treated to an
inspirational talk.
He spoke to the children about his happy childhood
living in the countryside and how his parents inspired and nurtured his love of
reading. His mother had a bookshop named ‘Toad Hall’, after ‘The Wind in the
Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame. He used to sit in the bookshop and read, “maybe
too much”! He loved to read books but, also cereal boxes and the local
newspaper!
He talked about the importance of libraries and that
when he was a boy their library was mobile (in a van) because it use to go
around to all the villages. He spent hours sitting on the floor of the mobile
library reading.
His father inspired his creative storytelling by
taking him and his siblings on walks in the local woods and making up stories
about it being haunted with all sorts of creatures. He was keen to stress the
importance of exercise as well as reading.
The children were enthralled with his interactive presentation
and he was keen to get their ideas on their favourite books and on
storytelling. He was very funny and engaging making the children roar with
laughter by showing them amusing images of him and dinosaurs!!
He also
shared with them his personal feelings of growing up and how difficult it can
be sometimes. He gave had some helpful tips for being creative such as staring really
hard and long out of the nearest window until you imagination is engaged.
The
children (and teachers) were so delighted. “Best presentation ever!”
Afterwards
many of the children got to meet him personally as he signed their copies of
his books. He was truly impressed with the children and the school and was very
keen to come back again sometime.
Thank
you, Piers.
Thank
you too to Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill who made this event possible
and to all the Parents/Carers who supported us by purchasing books.
Award-winning poet, Kate Wakeling, visited St Joseph’s on Thursday 4th October to help us celebrate National Poetry Day. Kate spent the day
touring the school sharing her poems along with tips on writing poetry with all
our children. Her engaging and interactive recitals made it a very happy and
memorable day for our school.
