My Author Project
My Author Project gives children the unique chance to adopt an author and explore the themes of their work through drama, arts and creative writing over several weeks, then share their work with the author.
About the Project
An author makes an initial visit to the school and talks about their work. The children are then involved in up to three workshops in school during which they work around the themes of the author’s book through different mediums. We provide the following workshops:
- Art with Escape Arts and Judy Reaves
- Drama with Playbox Theatre
- Creative writing with Cat Weatherill
The author then returns, and the children present their work – with great pride! The Project has run successfully for several years, and has been hugely rewarding for everyone involved.
Just one year group can take part, or the whole school, giving everyone the opportunity to be involved. The Project particularly engages children who are reluctant to read, bringing them to a love of books via a new route.
It was an absolutely wonderful and unique experience to be involved in the My Author Project. Even in the challenging circumstances of us just emerging from Covid Lockdown/Bubbles, the festival got me into the school for a launch event, enabling me to make a real connection with the pupils before the other aspects of the project began. Revisiting the school later to see all the amazing creative projects the pupils had completed was a total delight. Seeing the way the pupils had taken the storylines and explored them further in a wonderful variety of mediums and to feel their confidence coming through in the way they talked about books/their work was so inspiring.
Sophy Henn, author and illustrator, My Author Project 2022
I was delighted to be asked to be part of the My Author project and it was amazing to see the work the children did around the theme of Friendship. I think the project is brilliant because it helps the children engage with a book, introducing them to new ideas and hopefully inspiring them to create their own pieces of art and creative writing.
Serena Patel, Winner of the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award, My Author Project 2021
Visiting the schools as part of the My Author project was fantastic – interacting and inspiring the children on my first visit was one thing, but then to see their projects, drawings, models and ideas on my second visit was really impressive. I’m so glad I took part.
Steven Lenton, author and illustrator, My Author Project 2021
Feedback from schools:
‘The project was a lovely opportunity for the children to collaborate in a family project and promote those essential writing skills we are busy trying to apply every day. As a school we are working hard to raise the profile of reading amongst our pupils and families. We want our children to enjoy the opportunities and magic of sharing a book. This project really inspired our children to listen to stories then create their own characters and adventures . . . We will be able to further this project, and we have also set a competition for our older children who didn’t participate to become authors themselves. As a school we can continue to reflect and be inspired from today and we thank everybody for working so hard.’
Sophie Carter, Literacy Coordinator, Bishopton Primary School
‘I can absolutely say that some of our reluctant readers really have been enthused with the project and, most notable to me, are those children in Year 6 who are less confident at reading but who have loved Steven’s books. These children often find it difficult to engage with authors who would visit as, often, the books that are written for their age group are just too complex for them to access. I think this shows that the My Author Project works really well as I could see the benefit for all children across the school.’
Rebecca Slatter, Literacy Lead, Alveston School
‘The children are inspired to read more, and it enabled me to read a higher level of book to the class.’
Year 2 and 3 teachers, Stratford Primary School
What can we say?! We can’t think of a better stimulus to fire our imaginations! The project has had a far wider impact on our children than just learning one story – the skills we have learnt about being imaginative and creative will be used in many, many stories yet to be written.
Nikki Evans, Head, Moseley Primary School Coventry
The My Author Project has given me the most wonderful opportunity to sow a seed of creativity within a local school then watch that seed blossom. Between my first visit and my second, the children were enabled by the Festival to have the most fantastic input on the book I had presented. An artist, a drama and a writing professional visited to inspire them even further. As a result of the project, the children produced the most amazing work, which they were really proud of. Their teachers saw first-hand how they became engaged, excited and fired up to be creative too. This wouldn’t have happened without the most careful and considered planning from the Festival. It has been a pleasure to work with them on this marvellous project and I hope it can continue long into the future.
Tracey Corderoy, multi-award-winning author, My Author Project 2022
My Author is made possible thanks to the support of:
The Thistle Trust, Persimmon Homes, Cala Homes, and private benefactors.
Stratford Literary Festival is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation: 1164662.