2025 year 6 Schools Event
with Sam Sedgman
Our Year 6 Author Event is one of the highlights of the year for local youngsters. This year award-winning writer Sam Sedgman, author of thriller The Clockwork Conspiracy, proved a hit with more than 1,000 youngsters at four sessions in Cedars Hall. He told entertaining tales of how the grandfather clock of his childhood and a trip with his father to see Big Ben inspired him to write both the thriller, and its successor The Forbidden Atlas.
The Festival funded all costs, including transport, so that the event was totally free to all schools. Youngsters bought more than 2,000 books at a discount, subsidised by the Festival and by publishers Macmillan and Bloomsbury.
Previous events have included M.G. Leonard, with whom Sedgman wrote the successful Adventures on Trains series, and last year’s author Lindsay Galvin.
Hemington School enjoying the Year 6 event
I’m so thrilled everyone had a great time!
” The whole team were absolutely marvellous to work with – I said it in person but I’ll say it again, I have done a lot of festivals over the country and yours was by far the most rewarding and well-organised yet. Long may it continue.”
Sam Sedgman
“Thank you so much for another brilliant event! Year after year, we leave with a buzz for reading – and this year with minds boggled by units of measure beyond the imagination too!
Thanks for all the work that goes in to making these experiences possible: it’s so vital that children can see themselves in books and to be able imagine that they too could be the writer, it is powerful stuff!”
Kate Noel Meare School – October 2025
Just some of the projects the festival has funded
Ditcheat Primary School
A.F. Harrold delivering a whole school assembly and visiting Year 5 and 6 in January. He sends a weekly poem on a postcard, following it up with a visit at the end of the term.
Ashley has worked with WFL for over 10 years with a variety of local schools encouraging children to enjoy and experiment with poetry.
St Benedict’s Junior School
The inspirational Andy Seed is author in residence at St Ben’s in Glastonbury this year. He is helping Year 6 pupils develop their writing skills using his ‘Interview With…’ series of books. He will return in March to run ‘recommend-a-read sessions’ with each year group. There is a real buzz among pupils about Andy’s visits. His residency is fully funded by WFL, together with 150 copies of his fabulous, informative and entertaining books for the children to enjoy.
West Pennard Primary School
West Pennard School approached WFL to help fund books for enthusiastic readers and able pupils. English Lead, Alex Pinsent, proposed purchasing additional books for their library to support these children. Previously they had borrowed books from the library service but this was only a temporary solution. By funding these more appropriate titles for their own library collection, WFL has provided a sustainable resource that will benefit pupils for years to come.
The Blue School –
Wells
We funded a visit by Nathanael Lessore, popular children’s and YA author, to The Blue School in October.
Education team members attended the Assembly he gave to around 300 Year 9 students, all of whom really enjoyed his talk.
Horrington School –
Author Visit
Rebecca Gryspeerdt local author of Helpful Nell which is based around the Bishops Palace, ran a workshop for Year 1 and 2 children from Horrington School at the Palace in September. The children have been using the book in their lessons this term and were thrilled to meet the author and see the actual location.
Waterstones Visit –
Wells
Pupils from St Aldhelm’s School, Doulting, visited Waterstones , Wells, recently and had a wonderful time exploring the Children’s Section for books to excite and challenge them. Each child left with their chosen books, all funded by Wells Festival of Literature.
Theatre Trips
Shepton Mallet Infants and Hemington Primary enjoyed a trip to The Egg in Bath.
We also supported All the World’s Our Playground Festival, in particular the residency programme which brought 6 theatre companies and shows to 10 schools in addition to theatre festivals in Shepton Mallet and St. John’s First School in Frome.
coram beanstalk
We have supported Coram Beanstalk for many years in its work recruiting and training volunteers to work with children to develop confidence and promote a love of reading. Schools who subscribe can access a range of additional services and support. We currently enable over 40 children in 8 local schools to receive this help.
schools book club
Reading for pleasure benefits wellbeing, confidence and learning. The Schools Book Club allows pupils from rural primaries, who love reading, to meet termly and talk about a book of their choice. Lively discussion, differing opinions and listening to others’ perspectives makes for a rewarding and fun afternoon. All the books are funded by WFL and added to the school library.
Author Visits
Reading and writing motivator Joffre White spent a fabulous day with pupils at both Longvernal and Bishop Henderson Primary Schools.
Rebecca Gryspeerdt ran a workshop at The Bishop’s Palace, where Y1&2 from Horrington School were thrilled to meet the author and see the actual location of her books.
Andy Seed inspired pupils at Mark First School where we part funded the day. He ran sessions across the school, the children loved him, and the staff thought he was “brilliant”.
Nathanael Lessore, popular children’s and YA author, enthralled and amused 300 Y9 students at The Blue School. Students were keen to get books signed in the library.
School Book Clubs
The Schools Book Clubs make reading a fun social activity. The children meet termly to discuss plots, characters and themes of their chosen book. Sharing views, discussing new genres and suggesting books all build confidence and a love of reading. This year we read Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll, Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo by Philippa Leathley and Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo. All books were funded by WFL.
We are looking forward to working with more schools, while continuing to support projects that encourage a love of reading and put even more books into the hands of local children.
We are always happy to hear from schools with ideas which we might help fund.