The wonderful thing about school visits by Jess Butterworth

Writing is often a very solitary experience. I can very happily spend days on end in front of a computer, immersed in my imagination and watching the characters come alive as I type.

But there’s another aspect to a children’s writer’s life, one that involves meeting the readers and school visits. And throughout September and October, Running on the Roof of the World, Eve the yak and I, went on tour.

And we had the best time ever.

During the school visits I met the most wonderful, creative pupils who asked intelligent, thoughtful questions. One of my most cherished memories will always be watching pupils read along with me as I read the first chapter aloud. I told them they were all the next generation of authors and some pupils even shared their own creative writing with me.

I also met some incredible teachers, librarians and booksellers. It is such a great privilege to write for children and be part of the wonderful community actively seeking to enrich education and engage and excite young people through books. With so much uncertainty in the world we live in, the role of books and stories has never been more important: they invoke a sense of wonder, provide a safe place to escape and dream; build empathy skills; nurture a desire to discover, and expose readers to new experiences and ideas.

And I can’t wait for When the Mountains Roared to be published so that I can visit them all again.


Jess Butterworth 

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