Students with author Linda Newbery
As part of the school’s commitment to improve literacy, and encourage reading for pleasure, over one hundred twenty students visited this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Every student in our new S1 visited the Book Festival to meet authors Lari Don, John Boyne and Michaela Morgan. Some of these writers examine very serious topics in their novels, for example Nazi concentration camps in John Boyne’s book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The students were accompanied on these visits, not only by teachers and the librarian, but also by second year buddies! Once again we were fortunate to experience sunny and, at times, warm weather! After the author events, S1 and S2 were able to get to know one another while enjoying their snack – lounging on the Book Festival deckchairs!
Senior students also visited the Book Festival with English teachers, attending a poetry workshop and meeting authors writing for Young Adults. Our South African visitors, from our link school Barkly West, accompanied senior Modern Studies students and teacher for an Book festival event about the Scottish Independence Referendum. At yet another event, three senior girls, who have written articles for Teen Titles Magazine, were invited to an evening reception at Edinburgh City Arts Centre. There they, and young people from other Edinburgh secondary schools, were introduced to nearly two dozen authors, publishers and special guests. The girls had a fabulous evening, collecting many, many authors’ signatures.
Closer to the school, our local community public library at West Side Plaza, hosted an afternoon event with author, Linda Newbery. Linda has just published a story about WW1 in a format that is easier to read, for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
As a school we value this annual International Book Festival in our own city. We value the opportunity it gives us to celebrate books and reading. However, attending the EIBF each year is only made possible with the support of the schools charity WHEEA. This organisation contributes towards the cost of the entrance ticket and the bus fares.