Award-winning author Katya Balen inspires pupils at Bromley High School
On Monday, Bromley High School was delighted to welcome Katya Balen, Yoto Carnegie Medal-winning author and 2024 Wainwright Prize for Children’s Writing on Nature & Conservation winner, to inspire pupils across both the Junior and Senior Schools. Katya officially launched our ‘Year of Literature’, leading a series of engaging workshops and assemblies that celebrated creativity, imagination, and the power of storytelling.
The day began with a hands-on creative writing workshop for Year 3 and Year 4 pupils, based on Katya’s charming series The Appletree Animal Agency. Each pupil was given a toy animal and tasked with creating a re-homing poster, using the emotive writing techniques Katya had introduced earlier in the session. The girls produced wonderfully imaginative pieces, bringing their characters to life with heartfelt and persuasive language.
Next, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils enjoyed an inspiring presentation where Katya shared insights into what fuels her creativity, her writing process, and ways to unlock the imagination. The session included a playful challenge where pupils attempted to disguise a lie among truths about themselves—testing Katya’s detective skills as she tried to spot the fib!
After a short break, Katya visited the Senior School to deliver an engaging assembly for Year 7 and Year 8 pupils. In the spirit of bringing readers together, we were also delighted to welcome a group of students from Harris Academy Beckenham to join the event and share lunch with our girls. The session sparked lively discussions, new friendships, and a shared appreciation for storytelling.
Katya concluded her visit with an intimate creative writing workshop for selected Year 8 students. Pupils relished the opportunity to write freely, stepping into the shoes of October—the heroine of Katya’s award-winning novel October, October. Using sensory imagery, they explored the world through her eyes, crafting vivid and evocative pieces of writing.
It was a truly inspiring day, one that reminded us all of the magic of stories and the joy of imagination. We are grateful to Katya Balen for launching our Year of Literature with such enthusiasm and creativity, leaving our pupils eager to read, write, and dream even more.
