On Wednesday 8 October, Queenswood played host to three best-selling authors of teen and young adult fiction as part of the Hertford Children’s Book Festival.

 

English students in Year 7 were joined by children from St Joseph’s in the Park for a thoroughly inspirational talk by Sally Gardner, author of I, Coriander, Maggot Moon and Lucy Willow. Sally spoke passionately, and at times hilariously, about the ‘gift’ of dyslexia. She was preceded by event organiser Freya North, whose bestsellers include Pillow Talk, Home Truths and The Way Back Home. Freya offered some fascinating insights into the working practices of a novelist, and gave some handy hints on how to combat writers’ block.

After lunch, Year 10 students had the chance to meet Carnegie Medal winner Meg Rosoff, author of There Is No Dog, The Bride’s Farewell and How I Live Now. The brisk trade in book sales and the length of the queue for signed copies are testament to the girls’ excitement at meeting one of the most popular of contemporary authors.