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Catherine Johnson Visits

Author, Catherine Johnson, enthrals a packed library!

On Thursday 6th October we crammed 6 classes from Years 7, 8 and 9 into the library for a fantastic couple of sessions with author Catherine Johnson.  Catherine delighted (and occasionally disgusted) her audience with true historical facts that she used for her latest books, Sawbones and Blade and Bone.  She talked about people from history that have informed her work and said that although her characters are made up, they are always based on truth.  Even Alexandre Dumas’ father has a cameo role in her latest novel – he was the highest ranking black man ever in a European army.  Catherine’s lively chat kept everyone riveted and she was the ideal author to launch our new Historical Fiction Reading Group.  By the way, Catherine told students that those whose stomachs churned occasionally from the medical details she described obviously had the good imagination needed to become a great author (along with powerful observational skills and being a good liar!)