Carnegie medal for writing event
- Wednesday 12 June at The Spires College, Torquay
- Thursday 13 June at Queen Elizabeth School, Crediton
Guest author: Candy Gourlay
Since the shortlist was announced in March, secondary schools across Devon have been shadowing the Carnegie Medal for Writing. Students have read, reviewed, discussed and debated the eight shortlisted titles, trying to decide which one deserved to win this year’s medal.
In June, the School Library Service organised events to bring together shadowing groups from across Devon to share their experiences of shadowing, and gave them the opportunity to champion their favourite book. The first event was held at The Spires College, Torquay and the second at Queen Elizabeth School, Crediton. We were delighted to welcome Carnegie-shortlisted author Candy Gourlay to both events. Candy spoke about her inspiring journey to become a published author, from her upbringing in the Philippines, to meeting her English husband across a crowded demonstration during the People Power Revolution, and moving to the UK. She amused us with tales of the many rejections she received before finally finding her voice and becoming a successful author. Students were entertained, informed and empowered by her stories.
Each school then did a ten-minute presentation on their favourite book from this year’s shortlist, and we were amazed and impressed by their creativity. We had a shadow puppet play, re-enactments of key scenes from the books, interviews with some of the characters and even poetry and live music. At each event, students voted for the most persuasive presentations, and the winners were Exmouth Community College at The Spires event for Choose Love by Nicola Davies, and Shebbear College at the QE event for Away with Words by Sophie Cameron.
Many thanks to the two host schools for impeccable organisation, to The Bookery and Waterstones for providing pop-up bookshops at the two events, and to all the participating schools for their enthusiasm and creativity.
Feedback
“It was a great morning; Candy was fantastic very entertaining. Thank you for organising. The group were so happy, especially as all the groups were awesome this year.” Exmouth Community College
“A lovely atmosphere in the Hall for the presentations, which were all of a high standard, and Candy Gourlay was wonderful. She was equally engaging, entertaining and informative with our Year 7 and 8s, in the afternoon session.” Queen Elizabeth School
“A huge thanks to the whole team for today. It was a big success. And the students haven't stopped talking about how much they enjoyed hearing Candy - wasn't she wonderful” St Cuthbert Mayne School
“Candy made a strong impression on our group and we look forward to reading the books we bought. It had been a struggle to put a group together for the shadowing, and had the English department not stepped in and made Away With Words their set text for the summer term, we probably wouldn't have taken part. The pupils were delighted to have won, and hopefully, this will go a long way in raising interest for next year's shadowing.” Shebbear College
