Extra Task - Attend an activity or event promoting reading and literature

Write about the promotional value of a promotional activity you have attended (e.g. author talk or book club etc.)

When I did work placement at Frankston Library in August I got the opportunity to attend a talk by Morris Gleitzman as part of the library's Children's Book Week promotions. For the occasion, the library invited the Grade 5 classes from Frankston Primary School who were very happy to come and listen to this very popular author.

Morris has a very distinctive persona being quite tall,  using lots of expansive gestures while speaking. His audience was listening attentively and taking part when required. Morris talked about characters and how to make stories by turning an ordinary occurrence into something really interesting.

So he gave an example, I can't remember exactly, but it was something like "a boy just walking down the street going to school  and then some remarkable happening happened" - like something fell out of the sky in front of him. Morris then went on to talk about how you could expand the story and talk about how the character was feeling and what the character could do to solve the problem or mystery that confronts them. Books are a good way to explore feelings about yourself or your friends and family and you can be silly and naughty in books without actually hurting anyone (except in the book).

Morris then went on to say that if you wanted to be a writer you needed to keep writing lots of stories and keep reading lots of stories and look for ways that your characters should think things, feel things and do things.

All in all it was a really interesting talk that engaged the audience - children and adults alike.