Creative Writing Workshop (Year 7)
Author Kate Poels gave a creative writing workshop to Year 7 via Zoom on Mon 25 September. The session began with a chat about writing historical fiction and how to mix the real experiences of people in the past with fictional characters to make interesting stories. She encouraged them to think about characters and setting and start developing their own stories. Using her latest book, On Wings to the Stars, as an example, she showed them pictures of Malta in the Second World War and photos of some of the real people who helped her drive the story through their own experiences, including her great uncle who died over the waters between Malta and Africa in WW2.
Love, 7Y, commented : "The author visit was fun and interesting. She gave us many useful tips on story writing and taught us how to construct a good plot. We also did a few quizzes. It was fun and I enjoyed it."
On the Wings to the Stars follows the story of 12-year-old Eliza whose world is falling apart. Her great grandmother, Ganny, gives her a journal full of stories of life on Malta in WWII. Ganny claims she wrote it whilst listening to her brother talk about his days in the RAF. But Ganny's brother died in 1942 and ghosts don't come back to tell us stories... do they?
After reading the book, Aisha, 7F, enthused: "The book was very adventurous and had emotional bits too! It was really quite a page-turner and I really recommend it."
On Wings to the Stars is in the library and is part of the Children's Book Awards 2023.