For the next fortnight I’ll be touring the country, bigging up my new book, THE 13TH HORSEMAN, to anyone who’ll listen. This week I got the chance to do some warm-up events at three schools here in Scotland. The first two events took place in East Ayrshire on Tuesday. They were great fun, and I really enjoyed myself.
But I want to talk for a bit about my visit to St John’s RC Primary in Edinburgh on Wednesday, because it’d definitely a contender for my favourite school ever.
I first encountered some of the pupils from St John’s when they came to see me at the Scottish Book Trust HQ in 2010. I was doing my first ever promotional events for MR MUMBLES, and it feels like a lifetime ago.
Last October I visited the school in person, when I was helping Jack and Jim from the National Literacy Trust on their epic fundraising run, and I was blown away by how much the kids there knew about my books. They were all really keen, and some of them had even drawn me pictures of the villains from the series. I came away from the event grinning from ear to ear, thinking “they won’t come much better than that.”
Fast forward four months and St John’s has only gone and proved me wrong. I was invited back to run two events – one for the lower half of the school, and one for the upper half. The lower half took in pupils from age 5 to 7, and we worked together to create a story on a big flipchart. It was noisy and manic, and the resulting story – about a bra-wearing monkey being accosted by skeletons – was bordering on the surreal, but that’s what made it fun.
After this event I visited a class that may well have contained my biggest fans in the world. As I walked in I was met by a word-perfect rendition of Caddie’s “Caddie Caddie Ha-Ha” rhyme from RAGGY MAGGIE sung by the whole class. Then they all lined up to gets books signed, and virtually everyone in the class had a stack of books for me to scrawl my name on.
Lots of the kids in the class had drawn their own Invisible Fiends inspired pictures, and some gave me them to take away with me. Look, see for yourself…
Pretty cool, huh?
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! Because that one in the middle isn’t just a picture. Oh no siree Bob. It’s…
Wait for it.
A SPIN-OFF STORY!
Rhiannon Magill has written a short story to go between THE BEAST and the final book in the series, THE DARKEST CORNERS. In the story Kyle and Ameena come face to face with an imaginary friend called Screecher, who combines the worst of everything they’ve fought so far. It’s a great little story, featuring cameo appearances from Doc Mortis and I.C., the boy Kyle saves from Doc’s hospital.
Rhiannon has really captured the spirit of the books, right down to the bickering between Kyle and Ameena. It’s a great piece of work, and I reckon that one day Rhiannon may well be writing books of her own.
The second event was a bit frantic, as I was trying out bits of my 13TH HORSEMAN talk and mixing it in with some stuff about the final Invisible Fiends book. Some of the pupils joined me at the front and became Horsemen of the Apocalypse, acting along as I read out a section of the story. I then read a sneaky little extract from THE DARKEST CORNERS, answered a load of questions, then I had to say goodbye and head home.
A great day, and the artwork I took away with me will now take pride of place in my office at home, along with Rhiannon’s story.
Oh, before I left I told the pupils how they could win a chance to become a character in the final Invisible Fiends book. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you, too.
Just not tonight…
This is a fantastic response to the visit you held and the pupils will remember both the visit, and what you have written here, for many years to come. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm, and talent, for writing with the pupils at this school. You have certainly encouraged a love for your craft.
Wow, Barry you lucky author you! It’s so inspiring to hear about brilliant schools like this!