Authors

Author visits to primary and secondary schools enhance children’s education in several important ways.

Promoting a love of reading

Schools should encourage pupils to “read for pleasure” and promote wider reading.
Author visits help achieve this by:

• Making books feel exciting and relevant
• Allowing children to meet the person behind the story
• Inspiring reluctant readers to engage with texts

When students connect a real person to a book, reading becomes more meaningful and enjoyable.

Increasing reading across the school community

This happens because:

• Children are motivated to read the author’s books before and after the visit
• Teachers and libraries can build themed activities around the author
• Shared enthusiasm spreads among peers

Improving writing skills and confidence

Authors can:

• Explain how stories are created (planning, drafting, editing)
• Encourage children to write their own stories
• Show that writing is a skill anyone can develop

This boosts both creativity and self-belief, especially for pupils who may lack confidence.

Supporting curriculum learning

This links learning directly to the curriculum by:

• Deepening comprehension of texts
• Supporting literacy objectives
• Encouraging critical thinking and discussion

Real-world inspiration and engagement

Meeting an author provides a real-life role model:

• Children see reading and writing as real careers
• They can ask questions and engage directly
• It creates a memorable learning experience beyond the classroom

Devon School Library Service supports author visits to schools and we can help by preparing an author study topic box for you prior to a visit. Please contact us if you would like support.