An award-winning children's author surprised pupils at a Norfolk school with a special visit after they revealed to him how much children had fallen in love with his work.
Children at Howard Junior School in King's Lynn were thrilled to see the author that has inspired their love of books in person.
Author SF Said, who has won multiple UK top children's book awards, visited the primary on Thursday, February 6, to speak and answer questions about his book Varjak Paw.
The book, which is based on the story of a cat, won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for Children's Literature and has been adapted as a stage play and an opera.
The event was organised by literacy teacher Lauren Purple who invited Mr Said to come to the school after seeing how interested pupils in year 5 were in lessons.
She said: "They have been inspired by his books and had many questions to ask about them and what it is like to be an author.
"The children really enjoyed the day. It was a memorable experience."
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Children, inspired by the visit, dressed up as cats to welcome the writer to the school.
Callum Boldero, 9, said "It was an amazing day. To meet the author of a book that I love was incredible and to hear how he wrote the story from his own life experiences was inspiring."
Headteacher Gregory Hill said the book is being taught in classrooms around the UK and is currently featured on the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education's recommended reading list for primary schools.
Mr Hill added: "SF Said told us his life story, inspirations and how his own cats antics made him write his famous book Varjak Paw.
"Mr Said is now a friend of Howard and we hope he will return again as he loved his visit."
Speaking about the experience on Twitter, Mr Said commented: "It's an amazing and inspiring thing for an author to visit a school that values and celebrates reading at every turn, in every corridor and every corner.
"Thank you to everyone at Howard Junior School for a fantastic visit, and for working so hard to inspire the love of books."
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