When you watch a tent full of children listening, spellbound, to an author or illustrator talking about their books, it’s hard to believe that there are classroom struggles around reading, or that parents have to ration screen time. 

A character evolves as the illustrator draws a picture in front of the audience; the imaginary world that readers can inhabit is recreated by the author who first conceived it; the madness and hilarity of favourite stories may be sung, acted or both. Live encounters through events such as Haydays, the children and families programme at Hay Festival, can transform the dynamic of reading. 

By taking tales out of the four walls of the schoolroom, they can be approached in a new way that overcomes resistance to reading and hugely increases enjoyment of them. Where reading is seen as a passive pastime, the input of writers and illustrators can turn it into a pro-active, imaginative process that may inspire young people to follow a literary or artistic career. Suddenly, what may have seemed stiff and polished in book form becomes possible and accessible. It is a shift in the literacy process.

‘Creativity can flourish in unexpected ways’

Writers in schools can encourage empathy, using literature to explore and understand the lives of others. This can be a powerful format for pupils and teachers to continue after the session. Writers often shake up the group dynamic in a classroom, allowing creativity to flourish in unexpected ways.

Pupils can interact with writers on a personal level when they see them in the classroom and are able to ask questions in their own familiar surroundings. It is often a surprise for children to find that someone actually draws for a living, all day long, and gets paid for it.

As Steven Camden, a spoken-word artist known as Polarbear, said: “Not everyone should be a writer but every single person everywhere deserves to know that doing what I do for a living is an option and, that if they want to have a go, they are allowed.”

So, when inviting a writer into the classroom, what should you consider?

• Before a writer’s visit, spend time with the class, finding out about their work and their life. Make sure there are copies of the writer’s books in the school library. The pupils will get much more out of the session if they are informed in advance.
• Work with writers who encourage group activity, break-out sessions, movement, interaction and participation. The more physically engaged the pupils, the better, which is why authors with performance skills, who sing or play an instrument or who can inject drama into their narrative in other ways are popular and can have a lasting impact. 
• Don’t worry if the class seems out of control during a session. Writers who are used to working in this context are comfortable at managing groups of children and may encourage over-excitement. They will also be skilled in bringing them back to focus. 
• Take part. When writers are running activities in the classroom, don’t use it as an opportunity to get on with other tasks such as marking; get involved too. The shared experience will live on in the classroom and in conversations if the teacher and pupils are fully engaged during the session.
• It is valuable for pupils and teachers to be able to watch writers and speakers again and again. The National Literacy Trust, Scottish Book Trust and Hay Festival’s Hay Player offer these resources, allowing pupils to analyse further and enjoy all over again, perhaps at home. 
• Bringing a writer in can be the catalyst for something new in the school, such as a book club, a creative writing group or a newspaper team. Some writers, such as Joe Coelho, are available for Skype sessions, which means that pupils can re-engage with those who have influenced them or continue a conversation that developed from their visit.
• The impact of bringing writers into schools is undeniable. In addition to Hay Festival, organisations such as The Roundhouse, Read for Good, Bradford Literature Festival and Edinburgh International Book Festival offer great schools programmes and opportunities, some of them running free events for young people. Here is a quote from a pupil who attended Hay Festival Scribblers Tour 2018, a free educational outreach programme funded by Welsh government: “I learned today that you can always get where you want with courage to pursue your dreams, dedication and motivation. I learned to be confident and to share your story with pride.”

Julia Eccleshare is children’s director at Hay Festival, and Aine Venables is education manager at Hay Festival

Schools can live-stream Hay Festival 2018 sessions for free on Thursday 24 (KS2) and Friday 25 May (KS3+4). Sign up here.