Top author visits Exeter School

Carnegie Medal winning author, Tim Bowler, visited Exeter School on Wednesday 4 November to deliver creative writing workshops to all Lower Fifth classes.

Tim is renowned for his psychological thrillers for young adults and he challenged pupils to consider an imaginary place in which something reasonably believable, yet strange or unexpected, happens.

Using this method, which he sometimes employs in his own work, some amazing and wonderful stories were rapidly emerging. Pupils volunteered to read out their work, which proved to be imaginative and often enticing, and were advised to concentrate on getting their ideas down and to hone their work later.

The author also enjoyed meeting selected Fourth Form readers informally in the library at morning break for coffee and cake.

Pupils, Ella O'Brien and Grace Sail, commented that they liked the way Tim Bowler uses real life experiences in his stories. He told the group about a problem he had describing a scene in 'Buried Thunder' where there is an encounter with a fox. He happened to be outside thinking about this and was leaning against a garden fence when he felt as if something was watching him. When he turned round he saw it was a fox. It scrabbled at the ground and then repeatedly stared right in to his eyes, thus inspiring him!

At lunchtime Tim undertook a marathon book signing session in the library with over forty pupils from Third Form upwards queuing to meet the author personally.

John Dunlop and James Waddington in Fourth Form were delighted to meet the author and discovered that Tim is a fellow Terry Pratchett fan. Tim also told them that he likes meeting and talking to people at book signings because it makes him feel good that people enjoy his books.