THE 11th Swindon Youth Festival of Literature kicked off yesterday with an array of amazing authors giving terrific talks at schools around town.

Acclaimed writer Jamie Thomson performed a show and held creative workshops at Dorcan Academy, Astrosaurs author Steve Cole entertained youngsters at Kingsdown School and Mark Lowery brought his bestselling Roman Garstang Disasters series to Ridgeway School.

Kate Murphy, co-ordinator for this year’s festival, said: “We've had a great, it's been a very good start to this year's festival.

"The students and authors have really enjoyed it. The ideas some of the Year 8s came up with during Jamie's workshops were incredible and several of them said they wanted to write stories now.

"This festival really sparks a love of literature in students, which is what it's all about.

"It was slightly terrifying to be the lead co-ordinator for the first time but it's a massive collaboration and I couldn't do it without the other librarians who co-ordinate events at their own schools.

"Every day is special and different, it's all very exciting."

The fun has only just started. More talks, Q&As, and workshops are planned for the rest of the week.

Today Helen Dennis is due to pop into Abbey Park School to talk about the Secret Breakers and Rivers of Ink series, while Blue Peter Book of the Year winner Ali Sparkes will chat to pupils at Nova Hreod Academy.

Performance poet and festival regular Ash Dickinson will be visiting every secondary school throughout the week to encourage Year 7 students to develop their voice through verse.

Every school will have the chance to see award-winning comedy author Jonathan Meres at the Wyvern Theatre on Thursday and take part in the festival’s finale - an inter-school book quiz with Joffre White.

The winners of the festival’s poetry, creative writing and illustration competitions and the Literary Ambassador Award, will be announced at a prize-giving event with Mayor Junab Ali at the Platform on November 29.

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