NOVELIST Chris Higgins got children thinking creatively yesterday.

The Swindon Ten Youth Festival of Literature, a week of literature- themed events, is designed to encourage young people to explore and celebrate the world of books.

Mrs Higgins, 58, from Cornwall, a former teacher, talked to children at Nova Hreod School, off Akers Way, Moredon, about her novels aimed at the teenage market.

She then ran a creative writing workshop on characterisation.

She said: “It’s good for them to meet authors to find out about a writer’s day and what inspires them to write, to find out writers are just ordinary people.”

The £10,000 festival is funded by school partnership Swindon Ten and sees authors and illustrators visit secondary and primary schools across Swindon.

Yesterday, all schools took part in a collective book quiz.

Writer Sarah Singleton visited Dorcan Technology College in Covingham, while caricaturist Fred Blunt went to Kingsdown School in Stratton.

Mrs Higgins said she believed that, thanks to internet blogs and mobile phone text messaging, children were writing and reading more than 10 years ago.

“I think children read more nowadays, there’s a wealth of children’s writers out there now compared to when I was young,” she said.

“We used to go from children’s books to adults’ books, whereas now there is some really great writing for teenagers.”

Mrs Higgins’ books include A Perfect 10 and her latest publication, Would You Rather?

“Literature does one of two things,” she said.

“It either takes children to other worlds or to worlds they already know, which can be very reassuring as a teenager.

“They both have great value because for teenagers it is very nice to read something and think ‘that’s exactly how I feel’ and on the other hand it is good to be taken to other worlds.”

Mrs Higgins had just come from youth literature festivals in Cheltenham and Bath and said the festivals were helpful for her as a writer.

She said: “Children are very honest and quite unforgiving.

“They have expectations of books and if it doesn’t reach expectations they give up very quickly.

“I have had positive feedback today, they have all been very polite.”

Nova Hreod pupil Rebecca Lewis, 12, from Rodbourne, said: “It was a good way to get children involved.”

Alice Howarth, 12, from Greenmeadow, said: “We should read more.

“I think it’s a good way to get people to read more because we can hear about the book before we buy it.”