On Thursday 3rd March, students across all years celebrated World Book Day by participating in a range of activities and talks which inspired a love of reading and literature.
In the morning, Year 7 and 8 students received a talk from Simon Patterson of Hyraxia Books: a company specialising in the sale of rare speculative fiction. Students were exposed to a variety of complex dystopian works such as Orwell’s ‘1984’, Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ and Zamayatin’s ‘We’ and used these to construct their own dystopian worlds. In addition to his inspiring talk, the students had the privilege of viewing Simon’s collection of rare dystopian works including a first edition of H.G.Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’ and a proof edition of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’
In addition to his fantastic workshop, Simon then took the time to speak to the Sixth-Form about Shelley’s influences behind ‘Frankenstein’ (a text studied at A Level) and then proceeded to explore the potential career opportunities which stem from a Literature degree. Students were encouraged to pursue the subjects they enjoy and were evidently enlightened by the professional opportunities available to them as a result of opting to study English Literature.
The remainder of the day placed Year 10 in the spotlight as they received a practical workshop on ‘An Inspector Calls’ delivered by Alex Scott Fairley from Stage-Ed. Alex had played the role of Gerald Croft during the play’s tour of Vienna, therefore, he was able to offer creative, logistical and academic insights on the play which reach far beyond readings in the classroom. Year 10 engaged in a variety of engaging activities which allowed them to fully explore both characters, their relationships and key themes which run throughout the text. Year 10 students created a range of convincing, heart-felt performances which were a pleasure to witness.
Both the English department and the Library team firmly believe in praising positive reading habits shown both in school and at home. Therefore, in order to recognise those students who have proven to be proficient, improved or dedicated readers, they were treated to a ‘Booknic’ in the Baccaract room. As always, the school’s catering team created a fantastic selection of delights which were enjoyed by all. Students also took this opportunity to discuss the books they were reading and made additions to their reading wish lists which will be tackled throughout the remainder of the academic year.
In order to supplement the school’s varied and thought-provoking programme, students enjoyed engaging in whole school competitions such as the 500 word story competition and the Tranby Reading Trail: an opportunity for students to speak to staff and ask about their favourite books and the reasons for their choices. The opportunity to develop interpersonal communication and deduction skills was stretched further as students participated in ‘the Masked Reader’: a challenge to identify a member of staff based on their choice of novel. A huge thank you must go to Mr Roberts, Joe (Year 13) and Emily (Year 13) who used the skills acquired from the A Level Film Studies course to film and edit the footage which was shown to the whole school.
Head of English Mr Latham was overwhelmed by the levels of engagement and contributions made by the whole student body, “it was a privilege to witness such a wonderful day filled with literary passion, insightful discussion and informed creativity which emanated from materials and texts which go beyond the curriculum. In addition to thanking Simon and Alex who opened the students’ eyes to the world of literature in the working through their incredible presentations; thanks must also go to students and staff for their engagement and contributions to all aspects of the day. The literary buzz around the corridors was solely due to your enthusiasm.”
There was lots of excitement in the Prep School too as children discussed their costume characters for World Book Day. A great effort from everyone including the teachers!