This Friday started on a high note as we were visited by the author Sheena Wilkinson, who delivered a talk to the entirety of Year 8 this morning. Sheena has been described in The Irish Times as “one of our foremost writers for young people” and she’s been the recipient of many literary accolades, including the Major Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Sheena has published eight YA novels (both historical and contemporary fiction), various short stories and her first novel aimed at adults was published earlier this year.

Miss Shevah, our Head of Literacy and Communication, and Miss Deblue, one of our assistant librarians, met Sheena when she was a tutor on last year’s Arvon trip. They were thoroughly impressed by Sheena’s insights and so they resolved to invite her to speak at FHS so that she could share her stories and tips with more students.

Sheena certainly delivered! As part of her presentation, she talked about her journey from being an avid reader as a child to becoming a professional writer as an adult. She emphasised the importance of self-belief and encouraged students to view their desire to write as a gift, especially when their confidence wavers.

We had time for a brief Q&A session at the end of Sheena’s visit and she was delighted by the range of interesting questions posed by students. The teachers who were in attendance were also impressed by the questions asked as these demonstrated how bright and engaged our students are!

For more information on Sheena and her novels, here is a link to her website: Irish Writer | Sheena Wilkinson, Author