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To finish off the celebrations for World Book Day, Key Stage 3 students at HBAED welcomed a visit from you adult author of 29 Locks, Nicola Garrard.

During her visit, Garrard held three different workshops with Key Stage 3 groups throughout the morning, two focusing on reading and discussion, and one focusing on creative writing.

During these workshops, the boys heard about the tragic death of Mahad Ali, a former student of Garrard’s, who died as a result of knife crime. They found out that the book was dedicated to him because of this and that his death is what sparked Garrard’s inspiration to write the book in the first place.

Students also heard extracts from the novel read aloud by the author. They discussed the topic of grooming by gangs and they also learnt that the novel was written in Multicultural London English (MLE), exploring how this style of writing helped to make the novel sound more authentic.

Students attending the workshop also had plenty of opportunity to ask Garrard questions about the writing and publishing process. Garrard informed students about drafting and editing the novel, in addition to the support she had in getting the book published.

Students also asked about the potential for a sequel and Garrard exclusively disclosed that one was in the works about the main character Donny’s time at college, where his past would eventually catch up with him.

Overall, the boys really enjoyed the workshop sessions and were clearly engaged by the relevant and topical content of the story. Garrard was kind enough to sign two more copies of 29 Locks for the library, which will be available to borrow from this week.

Junette Norman, Librarian

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