Author Visit

Author Visit

Piers Torday

On Wednesday 19^th 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.