Award-Winning Author Returns to Alleyn’s

A huge thank you to award-winning author Katya Balen (Cribb’s 2008) for returning to Alleyn’s to share her love of writing and mudlarking and the inspiration behind her books with our Lower School pupils.

Katya, who was back in the Great Hall for the first time since she left Alleyn’s, captivated Year 7s and 8s with how she writes and encouraged pupils to get creative with how they can develop their own stories.

She explained that there is no one way to write and there are no rules to writing. However, there are things that all books need, she said: stakes, character development and obstacles. Katya challenged the pupils to think about these characteristics in the books that they know and love.

Katya also shared the inspiration behind her writing, gave an insight into the process of cover design and, sharing some of her mud-larking treasures, she encouraged pupils to do what her protagonist October (from October October) does, and gather stories from the world around them. She encouraged them to:

“Think of something small and how you can grow it into something bigger.”

Working together, pupils chose an object and thought about who might have owned it, how it ended up there and where it had come from, and quickly began to develop funny and fantastical stories.

During the Q&A session that followed, Year 7 and 8 pupils asked Katya insightful questions from “What do you do when you get writer’s block?” (step away from her work, talk to other writers or go for a long dog walk), and “What is your favourite word” (beautiful and brilliant) to “If you could go back to school, what advice would you give pupils?” (don’t worry about what other people think of you).

Katya’s talk finished with a chance for pupils to receive signed copies of her books, including her latest book, Foxlight, which is due to be published on 28 September.

Thank you, Katya, for coming back to Alleyn’s and capturing our pupils’ imaginations!

Katya’s book October October was awarded both the Carnegie Medal and Shadower’s Medal in 2022. Her book, The Light in Everything was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. And her latest book, Foxlight, is due to be published on 28 September.