The bestselling children’s author, Tom Palmer, inspired our next generation of creative writers with an engaging talk all about his incredible writing career. 

Having written 64 books to date, Year 8 pupils had the chance to find out about Tom’s journey into storytelling, the inspiration behind his books and some of the hardest challenges he has faced as a writer. 

After sharing that it was football that first encouraged him to read, Tom kicked off his presentation with a penalty shoot-out quiz which immediately got our pupils thinking.  

Questions on reading, newspapers, football, and books highlighted to the boys the sheer breadth of topics on offer for authors to delve into, reminding them that writing about topics you have a passion for is the best place to start. 

When asked “where do you find your inspiration?” by one of our pupils, Tom answered definitively, “from things that matter to me and role models who have inspired me.” 

Tom noted that both things continually fuel his energy and give him the motivation to write. They also contribute to the planning process behind his books as Tom finds scrapbooking a great way to help bring his ideas to life. 

Another pupil asked, “how long does it take to write a book?” Tom’s answer revealed the many stages and processes involved, from planning to researching, writing and marketing, which can take anywhere up to six months or more. 

After publication, Tom shared that it is schools, librarians and teachers who have played a large part in promoting his books. Tom enjoys seeing his books sitting on the shelves of school libraries as well as engaging with his readers during school visits and talks. 

Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed Tom’s talk and were thrilled at the opportunity to buy a signed copy of their favourite story.  

Aspiring writers took away not only a very special edition of the book but also the inspiration to pursue a career in the literary world.