Popular teenage novelist Gillian Philip was a very popular visitor to the school last week. A past ‘Catalyst Book Award’ finalist, Gillian led a creative writing master class with members of English classes 3.1 and 3.2. Gillian spoke of the process and discipline of being a writer. She gave the school’s budding young writers a unique insight into how she found the inspiration for her many popular teen novels. Gillian then led a lively, and challenging, question and answer session in which she answered very honestly, and often with great humour, the questions posed by the young writers who were all seeking advice ion how best to start their own works of fiction.

Top children’s author, Gillian Philip (standing left), with just some of Clyde Valley’s third year creative writers.