Students at East Leake Academy had the chance to stretch their storytelling imaginations when award-winning author, Harriet Goodwin, visited the academy.
Harriet, who has four published children’s books under her belt, shared her top writing tips with students in Year 8, including writing brilliant beginnings, development of strong characters and how to convey emotions to the reader. During the interactive session, the students then had a chance to hone their writing skills and develop their own stories.
After having a dream about a young boy who fell into a hole, Harriet started writing her first novel, The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43, which went on to become the 2008 Undiscovered Voices winner, as well as being shortlisted for the 2010 Blue Peter Book of the Year. Harriet now writes fantasy and adventure fiction for readers aged from 9 to 13 years, including two books in The Hex Factor series and her novel, Gravehunger, which has been shortlisted for numerous awards. She has also produced two short ghost stories for Collins, Beneath the Waves and The Black Dog, and is currently in the process of writing her next novel.
The visit was made possible by the Rotary Club of Shepshed Charnwood which has worked in partnership with East Leake Academy since 1996. To support school activities, funds are collected via events such as the Santa Float in East Leake, the Proms Concert and the Duck Race in Kegworth. Each year, the Rotary Club sponsors a Young Writers Competition which attracts over 150 entries from budding student authors.
Paul Miles of the Rotary Club said: “We were delighted to be able to sponsor the visit to East Leake Academy as part of our work with local schools. Having run an annual writing competition, it seemed a natural progression to have an author’s day and Harriet was the perfect choice. I hope her session will inspire more young people to read and put pen to paper to develop their own writing abilities.”
