On Monday 8 June pupils in Years Seven to Nine received a visit from a special guest - London-based author Andy Mulligan, known for works such as Trash and Ribblestrop. Having previously spent a decade working as a theatre director, Andy Mulligan has gained experience teaching in India, Brazil, Vietnam, the Philippines and the UK, and now spends his days writing full time.
His first novel, Ribblestrop, was published in 2009 and gained national acclaim, having been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Books prize. Trash followed this successful foray into writing. The novel focuses on the lives of three dumpsite boys who spend their days wading through mountains of rubbish, before making a life-changing discovery. Having been translated into 25 languages, Trash was published by the legendary David Fickling, whose credits include The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The film rights have also been snapped up, and the movie is due to be released in the UK and the America this year.
Years Seven, Eight and Nine have spent time in class reading and studying Trash, and great excitement greeted the news that Andy would be spending time with the pupils. Andy started the day with an incredibly engaging talk in the Lecture Theatre, during which he explained, using photographs, the story behind and the inspiration for Trash. The group then split into their year groups, and enjoyed a smaller writing workshop with the author.
Andy had an attentive audience as he told the pupils how he borrowed stories from friends and family, building on anecdotes to create episodes in the narrative of a tale. The students were then given a chance to construct their own novel openings, using dialogue to develop stories and characters. Andy offered the budding authors constructive direction, and the pupils are hoping to share their finished work with him before the end of term.
Teacher Mrs Eleanor Hallam said of the day that she was ‘immensely impressed with the passion that was ignited throughout the day; the students were hanging on Andy’s every word, and we may well have awoken a budding novelist or two! The support that Andy was offering the boys was incredible, and we very much appreciate the time he spent with us.’
