Author Emma Carroll inspires budding writers at Blackawton Primary

Blackawton Primary School had a novel day this month when Emma Carroll, crowned by BookTrust as the ‘Queen of Historical Fiction,’ turned the page on everyday lessons to inspire young minds.

Emma Carroll is a former English teacher and is one of very few authors to have had her titles awarded Waterstones ‘Book of the Month’ twice.

The children were very excited to meet her as many had already read her books, which are in the school’s library. Emma captivated pupils by reading the introduction of her thrilling new book, The Houdini Inheritance. She also offered fascinating insights into her creative process and the world of Houdini.

Children in years three to six then took part in a writers’ workshop, in which they were encouraged to reflect on their own likes and dislikes to spark imaginative ideas for their stories. After school, there was a special book signing session which made the memorable day even more special.

The visit from Emma Carroll was part of Blackawton School’s focus on encouraging children to develop a lifelong love of reading. The school is proud of its strong English curriculum which also focuses on oracy development. As part of building a love of literacy school, rich and diverse texts are carefully chosen in order to inspire pupils to read, and enjoy, the written word.

Liam Fielding, headteacher at Blackawton Primary School, said: “A heartfelt thank you to Emma for sharing her passion and creativity with us—it was a truly magical experience. The energy in the room was incredible, and it was wonderful to see so many budding authors brimming with enthusiasm and confidence in their writing by the end of the day.”

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West, said: “It’s lovely to hear that Blackawton Primary School has again taken steps to bring literature to life for children. Not only do we want young people to read, we also want to inspire them creatively and having such a successful author visit to share not only her stories but her tips is a brilliant way to achieve this.”