Grammar school gets in spirit of World Book Day

Mrs Cheryse Rahaman, Literacy Leader, Steyning Grammar School organised an amazing day of activities for all students to participate in. Mrs Rahaman said: ‘The aim of the day is to encourage more students to enjoy the experience of reading. People all over the world will be joining in and it is a great opportunity for our students to celebrate the love of reading and the many realms that reading can take an individual. It’s about encouraging imagination and creativity. Losing yourself to this possibility is beautiful.”

As Albert Einstein once said “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.””

In celebration of the day several authors were invited to the main school to speak to over 100 Year 10 students. These students were nominated due to their hard work and amazing attitude in English as well as those who have taken part in the Literacy team.

The authors were asked to speak about their material, what has inspired them to write, their writing process, as well as reading extracts from their books.

Author Juliet West worked as a journalist before taking an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University, where she won the Kate Betts’ Memorial Prize. Before The Fall, her debut novel, was shortlisted for the Myriad Editions novel writing competition in 2012. Juliet also writes short stories and poetry, and won the H E Bates short story prize in 2009.

John J. Eddleston, author and authority on British criminal history and a prolific writer on the subject. He uses a critical case review of the kind that is now used to scrutinise unsolved crimes. He re-checks, re-examines and re-evaluates the facts, conjectures, newspaper accounts, eyewitness reports and official pronouncements. His many books include Murderous Sussex, Murderous Manchester, Blind Justice, Jack the Ripper, Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Southampton and as well as Miscarriages of Justice based on famous London cases.

Victoria Norris-Jones is the Author of Storm Savers an enthralling mythical adventure which tells the tale of a large colony of Merpeople discovered living in off the coast around the Petrel Islands.

Phil Dickinson is the author of the novel ‘New Fire’, a fast paced adventure set in the time of the Aztecs and rich in detail about the people and the culture of the time. New Fire is an epic tale of sacrifice, honour and courage.

The younger students at Church Street were challenged to promote their favourite book in the form of an advertising campaign and the year 8 students were asked to create a visual representation based on their favourite book or an extract from their favourite book.

Every year the Church Street site is host to the Steyning Book Shop who bring a large selection of the latest children’s books for the students to view.

An ‘inter-form competition’ was run across the school called ‘Name that book’ with form prizes to be won. A ‘Book Swap’ box was also available in the foyer at the front of the both school sites.

Mid Morning students from across the school were given time to ‘Drop Everything and Read’, with the Sixth Formers enjoying coffee and cake in the common room whilst they read.

The day was a huge success and enjoyed by students and teachers alike.

Report and pictures contributed by Stening Grammar School.