Our budding writers heard some useful tips when popular children’s author James Riordan visited the school recently to talk to pupils from Years 7 and 8. The Portsmouth-born writer answered the youngsters’ questions about his work and offered advice about keeping readers interested. “Don't just describe what a character sees - think about the other senses too,” he recommended.
James Riordan is the author of many books, including novels such as “The Gift”, “The Cello” and “The Coming of Night". Answering questions from the audience, he described how, over sixty years ago, he was brought up by his grandparents in Portsmouth. His grandfather was a traditional chimney-sweep and the young James grew up thinking that only “posh” people could become writers. After leaving school he worked as a barman, a waiter, a railway clerk, a commercial salesman, and a dance band musician. During service in the RAF he learned Russian and went on to become Professor of Russian at Bradford University. It was later in life that he discovered his talent at writing fiction and his first published novel, “Sweet Clarinet”, won a national award. After reading the opening pages of this novel to our pupils, James Riordan explained how it was inspired by a chilling experience from his childhood. In Portsmouth during the Second World War he had seen a lone German bomber overhead, so he had taken refuge in an air raid shelter with about fifty other people. The shelter received a direct hit at the end furthest from James. Luckily, he survived but what he saw, heard and smelled was etched into his mind. This experience inspired him to write the story of Billy who is horribly burned in a bombing raid but who finds hope for the future in his precious new gift, the clarinet. “I'd like to think that reading any of my books might help to make you a better person,” James Riordan told his audience. His newly published novel “Rebel Cargo”, which presents the appalling truth about slavery in the 18th century, also ends on a strong note of hope. The author answered pupils’ questions about how he chose the titles for his books and about the cover designs, revealing that publishers’ ideas often overruled authors’ wishes. Ending his talk, he emphasised how much he enjoyed visiting schools. “The authors of children's books must keep in touch with their audience,” he said.

Article and photo: Mr G Lewis, School Press Officer