STUDENTS from The Ridgeway School and Sixth Form College are hoping they have written themselves a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Forty-five students from the school, in Wroughton, took part in a mass story-writing workshop involving children across the country yesterday, in a bid to break the record for the most people writing a story.

The story, called Parallel Universes, had been started by award-winning author Matt Haig and pupils were then asked to finish writing it themselves.

Sarah Day, learning resource centre assistant and event organiser at the school, said: “It has been a fantastic opportunity for students to have some fun, contribute to a Guinness World Record attempt, whilst at the same time using their creative writing skills.

“The whole event has really captured both the students and staffs imagination and has shown how enthusiastic they are towards reading and creative writing. “We were fortunate to have plenty of staff volunteering to act as official witnesses and can’t wait to find out whether the record has been broken.

“We were also happy to welcome Rhonda Dempsie, outreach officer for Swindon libraries and information service, into school as a witness ahead of the celebration events at Central Library at the weekend.”

Thousands of students in more than 100 schools took part in the event to celebrate National Libraries Day.

Barbara Band, vice president of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and Parallel Universes organiser said: “As well as celebrating National Libraries Day, this is a wonderful opportunity to involve students in an event that shows how reading and writing can be fun and exciting.

“Libraries are not just about books, every day school librarians are find new and innovative ways such as this to promote a reading for pleasure culture throughout the whole school.”

Matt Haig is a writer-in-residence for Booktrust, and said he was pleased that so many children had taken part.

He said: “This is a brilliant initiative and I am extremely proud to be part of it. I cannot wait to read some of the fantastic, creative and wacky ways in which the children finish the story.”