As an introduction to their Reading Through Time Challenge, pupils in Year 8 were treated to a talk by historical fiction author Matthew Wainwright,

Mr Wainwright is the author of Out of the Smoke, a gripping story set in Victorian London,  and most recently, Through Water and Fire, a mystery set in the perilous world of Tudor England.

Two of our pupils reported on the talk:

We had a fun and interesting talk with Matthew Wainright, who told us about the history of different amazing people, things and cities throughout time, and how he gets inspiration from them to create books set in different periods of time. For example he showed us pictures of the Mary Rose, one of King Henry VIII’s ships, Petra, a city carved out of rocks in the desert, and Lord Shaftesbury, who advocated for the rights of the poor and improved the lives of children in labour in Victorian times. It made me think about how people can do great things if they put their mind to it. We had a bit of fun at the end, where five people got to act as characters from his book ‘Out of the Smoke’. We read a section of the book together while they were in character and did actions.
Philip, Y8

When Matthew Wainwright came to Colfe’s, he talked about the ideas needed for historical fiction. We discussed the unknown in history, and how this can bloom into a story, with enough imagination. A few students were lucky enough to put this into practice at a creative writing workshop with Mr Wainwright personally. We wrote about arriving at a Tudor castle, using sensory imagery. Overall, the experience was very enjoyable, and a valuable insight into the thought process of authors.
Elizabeth, Y8

Colfe’s was delighted to welcome Mr Wainright, who told us afterwards: “Thanks again for the lovely welcome today. It was a joy to visit you, and the students were articulate and enthusiastic.”

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