Bury pupils treated to visit from writer

Mr Womack attended Dorset House between 1991 and 1995 before moving on to Lancing College and Oxford.

As well as talking about the process of becoming a writer, Mr Womack read from The King’s Shadow - his most recent book. This was listed as one of the 12 best summer reads of 2015 by the Independent on Sunday. Mr Womack was also able to regale students with tales of school life in his day and shared how he had used Bury Manor House – which is at the centre of Dorset House School, as the setting for his first novel, The Other Book.

In the afternoon, girls and boys in Years 7 and 8 took part in a workshop; exploring various settings around the school and the village church, and then using these in their own writing. The photograph shows some of the children setting off into the grounds with Mr Womack.

It remains to be seen whether any of these students will go on to become writers in the future – but Mr Womack’s visit certainly showed the children that it can be done!

Report and picture contributed by Dorset House School.