On Friday 11^th October, a group of 25 A-Level English Literature students visited the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Our first event was a talk by David Nicholls, bestselling author of One Day, You Are Here and Starter for Ten. He spoke brilliantly about his life and career, his inspirations, his mistakes, and his advice for young people and aspiring writers. Many students took the opportunity to have their books signed and spoke very positively about the event. 

In the afternoon, we attended a sold-out panel discussion from industry experts, including an author, editor, and BookTok influencer. The panel talked about the many different opportunities in the publishing industry and stressed the importance of being authentic, expressing your own voice, and reading as much as possible. It was a lively and honest discussion and I hope many more of our students may now consider publishing as a career option.

We are very fortunate to have the festival on our doorstep and are already looking forward to visiting again next year for more inspiring events.

Mrs Baker