A multi-award-winning author has officially opened a reading room at a Shropshire school and shared insights into her upcoming book with captivated pupils.

 

Caryl Lewis, who also writes under the name CM Lewis, spoke to Key Stage Two pupils at Ellesmere College and cut the ribbon on the newly created Lower School Reading Room.

 

The Welsh author also took time to inspire pupils with a talk about her writing life and her latest fantasy novel, Quill and the Last Generation, during her visit.

 

Simon Fisher, Key Stage Two Teacher, said it was a wonderful visit and an honour to have the author officially open the important new room.

 

He said: “We were delighted to welcome Caryl to our school, it was a thoroughly exciting session and the children were all captivated by her talk.

 

“She taught our students all about Welsh mythology and the creatures that inspired her latest novel, we are very thankful to Caryl for her time and it was an added bonus that she was able to cut the ribbon for a grand opening of our new reading room, which marks the beginning of a new chapter here.

 

“This visit gave pupils the opportunity to meet a writer whose work celebrates bravery, imagination and finding your own voice, themes that resonate strongly with the ethos of our new reading space.

 

“The room is designed to be a calm, welcoming and child-centred space, created to encourage pupils to read for enjoyment, curiosity and escape.  We wanted to create a space that makes children want to read, somewhere that feels inviting, comfortable and quietly exciting.

“Reading for pleasure is absolutely vital; it builds imagination, empathy and confidence. This room isn’t about reading because you have to, it’s about reading because you want to.”

 The Reading Room has had new furnishings, décor and books added to create the desired space. It forms part of a wider commitment to nurturing a strong reading culture across Key Stage Two.

 

Before she cut the ribbon, pupils gathered in the Arts Centre at the College to hear Lewis speak about storytelling, imagination and the power of myth, drawing on Welsh folklore and her own childhood reading experiences. 

 

The session offered pupils a fascinating insight into the creative process and the ideas behind her new book, which follows twelve-year-old Quill in a world locked in permanent winter.

 

For more information about Ellesmere College visit www.ellesmere.com.