Ibstock Bookfest 2024
World Book Day kick-started the Ibstock Bookfest 2024, a month-long celebration of reading and books.
Pupils became doctors for the day, prescribing books in the library, and tried to crack The Case of the Cold Colonel. The Bookfest Daily Challenge helped pupils get ‘bookfit’ and ready for the Big House Read for Refugees this Easter. We also had visits from six wonderful authors who discussed their work with pupils and offered writing tips.
Laura Bates
We hosted Laura Bates BEM, the award-winning activist, writer, speaker, journalist and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, an ever-increasing collection of over 200,000 testimonies of gender inequality. Pupils from the Prep School all the way to Upper Sixth were deeply engaged in her talks regarding everyday sexism and there were some lively Q&A sessions to follow. During lunch, Fem Soc members, including friends and staff, attended a packed book signing and Naomi (Senior 10) presented Laura with a portrait she created for International Women’s Day.
Eloise Smith
Olympic fencer, Commonwealth fencing champion and children’s author, Eloise Smith ran a fantastic fencing session with some of our lucky Senior fencers, sharing her top tips and techniques.
Patrice Lawrence
All Senior 8 and 9 pupils were treated to an entertaining lecture from YA heavyweight author, Patrice Lawrence. Patrice,who is of Italian and Trinidadian heritage, also spoke to pupils at the optional lunchtime Q&A and book-signing session hosted by ACAAS and Fem Soc. The event was hugely popular amongst pupils and every seat was taken!
Matt Dickinson
Everest expert and writer in residence Matt Dickinson visited for the day to launch an extreme writing competition with our Senior 7s. Pupils were challenged with writing a letter about a disaster from base camp. The letters certainly highlighted some emerging talent in our youngest cohort! Matt stepped up to the difficult job of choosing a winner and we are delighted to announce that Daisy has won a book token.
Catherine Randall
Local historian and member of CWISL (Children’s Writers and Illustrators for Stories and Literacy) Catherine Randall, visited Ibstock for a book talk and creative writing workshop. Our Ibstock team won her visit at the CWIZZ Reading Competition last year and our Inklings creative writing group, along with their friends and anyone who wanted to join, thoroughly enjoyed her visit.
Malcolm Duffy
Our final Bookfest author event with former ad man turned YA writer and proud Geordie Malcolm Duffy, was attended by members of Inklings (our Creative Writing Club) and pupils from Senior 7 – 9 who wished to attend. Malcolm discussed his new book, titled Seven Million Sunflowers based on the real-life experience of a teenage Ukrainian refugee (his family has hosted a Ukrainian family for the past year). To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week, he also talked about a short film Mical, the true story of a mum's struggle to get support for her dyslexic son.
Thank you to our wonderful Librarian, Ms Cleaves, for organising such an amazing Bookfest!
