April 2022- Tamsin Winter

Multi-award winning children’s author Tamsin Winter visited Upton Hall School FCJ at the start of April. Students in year 7 and 8 listened to the author talk about her three published works Being Miss Nobody; Jemima Small Versus the Universe and Girl (In Real Life) as well as the works she current has in progress.

The author shared her inspiration behind the books from news stories that caught her attention, to art work produced by children to influencers on social media oversharing family moments. The author also shared her extensive re-drafting process and brought along the drafts for her previous works. After the talk the author held a question and answer session with students during which we learnt more about a range of topics from how the author deals with writers block and the process of getting published to how much of the author’s personality makes it into her characters on the page. Finally, a book signing was held for students to purchase and have books signed. We would like to thank the author for an inspiring and insightful afternoon.

Tamsin Winter books are all available in the library.

Student comments about the event:

'Tamsin Winter inspired me to write more by going into depth about how reading and writing can help you in life by widening your knowledge and vocabulary.  She spoke about how writing books has expanded her view on the world and society as a whole.'

'I really enjoyed the Tamsin Winter Presentation. It really inspired me, as someone who wants to be an author. She showed me a different perspective. She taught me that all authors struggle to write or to finish their books and they don't always have ideas.'

'I read Tamsin Winter's latest book before the talk and I found it really interesting to find out where the inspiration for the book came from. I loved listening to Tamsin talk about her life and where her passion for writing books came from. I think Tamsin Winter's books are really inspiring.'

 

May 2021- Elle McNicoll (Virtual visit) 

 

April 2021- Liz Kessler (Virtual visit)

Year 7 students attended a virtual author visit with author Liz Kessler on Tuesday 20^th April. Liz Kessler joined us live from her home to talk about her latest novel When the World Was Ours. We heard an engaging talk about the author’s career journey from teacher to journalist and now to an internationally bestselling author. Liz Kessler shared that When the World Was Ours was based on the author’s own family who, as a Jewish family, lived under threat during Nazi rule. The author showed pictures and talked about her research trip taken with her wife to five countries. A trip that took them to past homes of relatives, to Auschwitz and even to the name of a relation written in The Book of Names.

The author read from her book and explained that the three protagonists were based on the experiences of her father. One child was based on his escape and the kindness of those who helped his family to flee. The second child was based on the ‘what if’ scenario if kindness and chance had not allowed the family passage to safety. The third child represented the possibility of a life without threat and instead a life of Hitler Youth groups.

Year 7 students all showed great respect for the grave and powerful topics discussed within the talk. Copies of When the World Was Ours are available for reservation in the school library. In our library lessons we will be reflecting further on the talk and ask students to share their experiences of reading the novel.

When the World Was Ours has been described as a powerful and heart-breaking novel about three childhood friends living during the Second World War whose fates are closely intertwined, even when their lives take very different courses. A Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week, this is the perfect story for readers of Private Peaceful, The Book Thief and Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl. 

Three friends. Two sides. One memory. Vienna. 1936. Three young friends - Leo, Elsa and Max - spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness, and that events soon mean that they will be cruelly ripped apart from each other. With their lives taking them across Europe - to Germany, England, Prague and Poland - will they ever find their way back to each other? Will they want to? 

Inspired by a true story, WHEN THE WORLD WAS OURS is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking, and shows how the bonds of love, family and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times. 

Three friends. Two sides. One memory. Vienna. 1936. Three young friends - Leo, Elsa and Max - spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness, and that events soon mean that they will be cruelly ripped apart from each other. With their lives taking them across Europe - to Germany, England, Prague and Poland - will they ever find their way back to each other? Will they want to? 

Inspired by a true story, WHEN THE WORLD WAS OURS is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking, and shows how the bonds of love, family and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times. 

 

March 2019- Kathryn Evans

On Tuesday 19th March YA author Kathryn Evans visited Upton Hall to publicise her new book Beauty Sleep. She gave a lively talk about her life and work to year 8 and 9 in the Assembly Hall and signed copies of her book. Her previous book More of Me had been shortlisted for the Wirral Book Award in 2017 and was a favourite amoungst our year 9 reading group at the time. 

 

July 2017- Berlie Doherty

On Friday 7th July 2017 local author and Upton Old Girl Berlie Doherty visited the library for workshops with pupils from years 7 and 8. She read from her first published book How Green You Are which tells of her time in Upton and gave insights into her writing process. There was a Q & A session at the end and then the author signed books. 

Berlie Doherty said of the visit

'I had a lovely time with you all,  and particularly enjoyed talked to the girls who shared our buffet, how wonderful it was to hear them talking about books with such enthusiasm and perception. They must be a joy to any librarian, English teacher and author!'