World Book Week has been a great success.

Monday, Year 10 had a creative writing workshop led by author Non Pratt, who got them thinking about character description and university life. The Senior Hall was taken over by Daunt Books for a book fair, visited by girls across the school. On Tuesday, Year 7 and 8 performed in the traditional Morison Verse Competition.

In the Year 7 recitation challenge, prizes were taken by runners-up Selma Benjelloun-Touimi and Chloe Elwes, and winner Iona Hamlyn with a powerful performance of Eleanor Farjeon’s ‘Pegasus’. Year 8 performed ballads written by their peers, and after much deliberation runners-up were named as the groups performing Pia Kebell’s ‘The Dreadful Murder of Amelia’ and Alexia Abecassis and Kate Zhao’s ‘A Faded Telegram’; the winners masterfully and humorously acted out Nikki Maxwell’s eerily timely ‘The Beginning of All Viruses’.

On Wednesday, author Holly Bourne discussed mental health and storytelling with Year 12, and a small group of lucky students produced a zine in a Graphic Novel Workshop. FHS celebrates in style, and World Book Days saw the school overrun with literary characters, from Anne of Green Gables to Zelda Fitzgerald. There was much excitement over the visit from Sophie Cleverly, who gave away the secret to successful mystery writing to Year 7.

On the School Birthday, we are always reminded of Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’, and in the afternoon we hope everyone will use their half-day holiday to really get stuck in to a good book. Next week we have the very famous Sarah Crossnan coming to speak to us. Such talks are really inspiring for the girls who realise that they too could follow their dreams and become a writer. Thank you to Miss Ivison and the English department for all the excellent organisation which has given junior and senior schools such treats.