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2020vision Merchants Connected ArchivesLibrary Events
Visit from Jon Mayhew Dec 2011
Lower School book group meet author, Jon Mayhew On the second of December Merchant Taylors' opened its gates to the famous author Jon Mayhew, the writer of ‘Mortlock' and ‘The Demon Collector'. During the morning John spoke about his books with some pupils from various year groups in the library, then in the afternoon he ran a question and answer session with a workshop on how to build tension in writing for the lower school book club.
Many of the questions that afternoon were very challenging as ‘Mortlock' had been the book club's latest read. The questions were very varied and one interesting one was ‘Which authors do you get inspiration from?' Mr Mayhew responded with an answer that none of us expected, saying that he drew on Charles Dickens quite a lot and that ‘A Christmas Carol‘ had provided ideas for the moody characters in his books.
Other questions that were put forward from the group included one asking ‘Why did you include ballads at the beginning of each chapter in Mortlock?' John responded that it was a logical step "Because the majority of them have themes about death".
Later on during the workshop the group was set a task to write a small paragraph that had tension running through it, which was an interesting challenge to which the book club pupils responded well, John was so impressed that he asked that they be forward to him so he could put them on his blog for fellow writers to look at and comment on.
On behalf of the Lower School Book Club I would like to thank Mr Mayhew for being kind enough to come in and share his expertise with us, it was a very enjoyable and inspirational afternoon and a big thank you also to Miss Patel, Mrs Rea and Mr Sutcliffe for arranging the visit - the book club pupils are looking forward to seeing what you have planned next for us !
Report by Christopher Oldnall 8C
Visit from Author John Stephens - June 2011
Pupils from Years 5 and 6 came over from the Junior School and joined a year 7 class for a talk by John Stephens, who has recently changed his career from Hollywood scriptwriter, working on series like The OC and Gossip Girls, to a life as a full time writer for children. His novel, The Emerald Atlas, which took him about three and a half years to write, is set in America thirty years ago. It has been sold in 37 countries, with many different covers to suit local tastes. He used some stories from his own childhood in the plot, although always changed them to suit the story.
Most boys in the audience said they preferred to watch a film rather than read a book, because there is more action and you don't need to think too much. But John said the beauty of reading is that you can become a film director in your mind, using your imagination to create a unique interpretation of a scene.
The crucial elements of planning a story are first setting the scene, then establishing something that the characters want. A surprise is essential and at the conclusion of the book things have to be different from the beginning.
John's favourite book is The Hobbit, and he also loves Lord of the Rings.
Carnegie Lunch - June 2011
Pupils from Formby High School, Merchant Taylors' Girls' School and St Mary's College joined boys from our reading group for a lunch to hear the announcement of the national winner. Our special guest was former pupil and keen Carnegie shadower, Philip Cave, who is now training to be a Merchant Navy officer and has just returned from a round the world voyage.
Pupils voted on their favourite books after speaking up for their favourites. While they ate, votes were counted and our winner was declared a tie between Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness and Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin. The winner of the Carnegie Medal 2011, announced at BAFTA in London at 12.30pm, was also Patrick Ness.
Mark Robson
Mark Robson never imagined he'd be an author. From the age of twelve, when he joined his local Cadet Force underage, his dream was to be a pilot. In spite of not being very clever, and never achieving A grades, he took part in as many activities as possible, like rock climbing, fencing and Duke of Edinburgh Award, to gain certificates in order to achieve his goal. In year 9 he chose subjects which he thought would be useful for a career in aviation. English was vital, as it is the international language of the air, and maths and physics help in understanding how an aeroplane behaves. In history Mark studied all things military; he had a PET CDM computer as he realised that computers would become important for aviation. The boys were surprised when he said that biology was the most relevant subject to flight- it is important to understand the impact of G Force on the human body. A 10 stone person becomes 60 stone, eyesight becomes distorted, the air expands in the lungs and elsewhere, and any dental cavities may cause the teeth to explode.
When Mark was 15 he applied to be a pilot, and was sponsored with £1000 to do his A-Levels. He joined the RAF at 18, and managed to pass the many exams necessary for a flying career. He was so motivated he built a cardboard aeroplane in his room, dressed in a flying suit and talked to imaginary air traffic controllers. He emphasised the importance of setting short term goals, which are achievable.
During his career as an RAF pilot he was involved in four wars, including Kosovo and the Falklands. It was during his time in the Falklands, when there were periods of inactivity, that he decided to write a book, which became the Dark Warrior trilogy. Although he received many rejections from publishers and decided to self publish he is now with a major publisher and has sold a quarter of a million books throughout Europe. The Devil's Triangle, his latest book, is set in the Florida Keys; boats lost in the Bermuda Triangle are marooned in a terrifying parallel world.
ER
Joe's Athenaeum Success Benefits the Library
Sixth Former Joe Mansour recently won the ninth annual Athenaeum literary competition for young people. Joe was announced as the winner of the £1,000 top prize having written a short story on the theme 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.
In addition to the £1,000, the prizes included publication of the winning entry in the Daily Post, a year's honorary membership of the Athenaeum, and a £100 prize for the Library to buy some books. Staff members recommended the 10 titles which are now available.
World Book Day
200 pupils celebrated World Book Day by missing some of their normal lessons and having a whirlwind tour of comics and cartoons with Tim Quinn, the former editor of Marvel Comics in New York. They were treated as Marvel employees during the cartoon workshops, and told to think big, as comics are always drawn to a bigger scale than they appear in print. Tim warned them that deadlines are unforgiving- if you missed a deadline you would be out of a job, as comics had to be printed on time. Colour makes a vast difference to the finished product- Tim demonstrated with two similar drawings, one in pale hues and the other coloured in vibrant shades. He said a good colourist was a valuable employee- Marvel had only two colourists, and they were both paid very well. Details are vital, as he demonstrated with the arrows in a picture of the Battle of Hastings. Covers are vital as they encourage readers to buy the comic. Simple is best, like a 1960s Beano cover consisting of only the title- the comic was so famous that it could sell on its name alone. He showed boys a Spiderman cover, with a spotlight that shines from a helicopter- this is his favourite cover as it means there is no need to draw the helicopter, although the reader knows it is there.
Tim gave some valuable advice to aspiring artists. Keep practising! Like walking and talking, drawing is something you can learn and improve with constant practice. Never use a rubber or ruler. Draw at night while you are watching television.
Some boys even returned at lunchtime to listen to Tim's talk on the history of comics- from cave paintings, the ancient Egyptians, through to the Bayeux tapestry, Tim described how stories have been told through pictures. Victorian penny dreadfuls, the stories of Varney the Vampire and Spring-Heeled Jack were sensational eyewitness accounts of terrible deeds. Ally Sloper, a red-nosed drunkard, was the first real comic book character. After Comic Cuts became the most popular comic in Britain, the Religious Tract Society created The Boys' Own Paper as a more wholesome alternative. An interesting fact about Superman, who was created in the 1930s by two school boys, was that he was dressed like a man on a trapeze. Unlike Superman, Wonderwoman cannot fly but travels in a invisible plane. All too soon the bell for registration signalled the end of Tim's talk, but the pupils have been inspired to borrow the collection of books on comics and cartoons, and to look at the folder of work produced on World Book Day.
ER
4.3.11
Visit by Chris Riddell, Wednesday 10th November 2010
Pupils were delighted when the library at Merchant Taylors' School was invaded by aliens, emerging from the pen of artist and illustrator Chris Riddell. He recreated characters from his latest book, Alienography, a guide on how to spot an alien invasion, containing many exotic stealth invaders and their space craft. He told the audience that his favourite illustration from the book was the Super Evil Battle Bot, as he loves to create complicated and detailed drawings. The original inspiration for the book, which he had been thinking about for many years, was the collection of aliens in the Mos Eisley Cantina scene from the first Star Wars film. He would like his next project to be a graphic novel, with Paul Stewart, his collaborator on The Edge Chronicles. Chris has always loved drawing, and his best advice to budding artists was constant practice. He always carries a notebook with him, and sixth formers and younger boys were fascinated by some of the completed ones he showed them. His influences include Heath Robinson and John Tenniel. Like Tenniel, Chris combines book illustration with a career as a political cartoonist. The deadlines for this are demanding, and he can often be seen in the newspaper offices drying his latest cartoon with a hairdryer so it can go to press!
It is thanks to Chris Riddell's visit that an alien headmaster and a Merchanttayloron lurk on the walls of the senior and junior libraries!
Etherington Brothers visit Merchant Taylors' Boys' School
Lorenzo and Robin Etherington are graphic artists who have worked on films like Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Star Wars and Terminator Salvation. They are also the creators of new comic adventures such as Monkey Nuts, Baggage, Tusk, MOON and The Lore of Things. The brothers Liverpool connection is that their mum painted backgrounds for the Beatles' Yellow Submarine film.
During their 4 day tour of schools in Liverpool the brothers paid a visit to Merchant Taylors' Boys' School and gave pupils from years 5 and year 7 some advice about how to create their own comic strips: how to create memorable heroes, villains, worlds for the characters to inhabit, and vehicles to transport them. In their latest book Monkey Nuts, they have created the Isla de Monstera, in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, which is an exciting setting where they can tell many interesting stories. Monkey Nuts is a crime fighting organisation. The heroes, a monkey, a robot and a coconut, live in a ship wrecked galleon on a beach. Later in the story an Aztec temple comes to life, and the heroes have to fight baddies like the evil Lord Terra.
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The boys enjoyed seeing the Etheringtons' original artwork, and finding out what inspired them, like films, and everyday objects combined together. Their top tip for creating a monster was to choose three unrelated items, like a windmill, a hedgehog and a doughnut, and to create a scary monster with features from each! Pupils came up with lots of creative suggestions of their own, and were given an activity booklet at the end of the session.
Before they left the library Robin and Lorenzo commented on the enthusiasm and creativity of the pupils in the audience.
Visit by Irish author Michael Scott.
On a recent visit to the Boys' School, the children's author Michael Scott enthralled an audience of pupils aged 10-13. He described what inspired him to write The Alchemyst, the first in the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. He has based the main characters on real historical figures, like John Dee, a spy for Queen Elizabeth I, who signed his secret messages with the code 007. Nicholas Flamel, who lived in Paris with his wife Perenelle, was rumoured to have discovered the secret of eternal life and the way to turn base metal into gold. Flamel also appeared in the Harry Potter stories as Dumbledore's unseen assistant.
The boys asked Michael many questions about how he writes. He planned the entire series before starting to write, and even wrote the ending! It takes about a year to complete one novel, which then takes several months to be published. He stressed to any budding writers in the audience, how important it is to check facts, as readers in the digital age are always quick to point out mistakes. The best resource is a library as online information cannot be trusted. The Necromancer, his latest novel, is his 108th. His first book, on Irish mythology, was published in 1982. As an authority on the subject, he has a great interest in mythology, which features in his novels in modern settings.
His favourite author is Mark Twain, but he also enjoys contemporary children's writers like Garth Nix, China Mieville, Derek Landy, Darren Shan and Eoin Colfer. Crosby was the first stop on Michael's national book tour to mark the publication of The Necromancer. Michael was impressed by the perceptive questions he was asked, and by the number of fans he had in the school. The children left the Library looking forward to the next two books in the series!
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Mark Walden, Author of the HIVE Series, visits the library at Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, 12th October 2010
Forget any ideas of pursuing a career in teaching, law or medicine- transglobal super villainy promises a far more interesting future. This was the careers advice given to an attentive audience of lower school pupils by Mark Walden, whose HIVE series of novels is set in the Higher Institute of Villainous Education. Unlike a normal school it has no holidays or weekends, just six years of unremitting education in the arts of villainy. Otto Malpense, who has the power to influence technology, hates the school and is determined to escape.
Mark used examples from his favourite films, comics and books to show his admiration for the baddie. Villains have the most interesting costumes, lines, homes and vehicles- Luke Skywalker's costume is dull and boring compared to the dramatic and mysterious garb of Darth Vader, whose entrance in the Star Wars film is unforgettable. The Joker, Sauron, Lex Luther and the Daleks are far more fascinating characters than Batman, Superman, Harry Potter and Frodo. In films and novels, villains make the plot go forward, as the heroes respond to the actions of the baddies. They are also indestructible, as they always find a way to come back into the story even when they appear to have been destroyed.
The audience asked the author many questions about his writing and the inspiration for his ideas. Mark always writes at home, on a computer in his study, and he needs peace and quiet. He loves reading comics, graphic novels, and fiction, especially novels like Catch 22, and Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also loves computer and video games in any form. Although he used to be a games designer who had to spend months testing new products, he has not lost his enthusiasm for new games. At the end of the afternoon he said he had enjoyed meeting such keen fans of his work!
Sefton Super Reads Visit - 29 June 2010
To begin with, a brief description was given of the six books which were shortlisted for the award. These were: Escape From Shadow Island, Baboon, The Graveyard Book, The Thornthwaite Inheritance, Angel Cake and Revolver. Once this had been done, the results of the votes for the best reads were given out. In reverse order, the positions were:
6th Baboon
5th The Graveyard Book
4th Angel Cake
3rd Revolver
2nd Escape From Shadow Island
1st The Thornthwaite Inheritance
The Thornthwaite Inheritance's author, Gareth P. Jones, regrettably could not make it to the visit, as his wife was about to give birth to his first child in London. However, he did send a speech which was read out.
After this, the awards for the best reviews for each book were given. Three of our school won an award: Tom Whitehead, Tom Magennis and Harry Taaffe. Unfortunately Harry could not come to the visit, so Mrs Rea collected the award for him.
Finally, Paul Adam, the author of Escape From Shadow Island, answered some questions about his books. He confirmed that he is planning to develop the story further into a trilogy which was very well received.
Alasdair Lees 9C
Visit by M G Harris - Friday 25th June 2010
All boys in Year 8 sat enthralled by the writer M G Harris as she talked about her writing and how she developed the ideas for her series of thrillers, the Joshua Files.
She had careers as a microbiologist and the manager of an IT company before becoming a full time writer. Although the ideas for the stories had been in her mind for a long time, the real impetus was when she broke her leg in a skiing accident and decided to use her enforced leisure at home to write a novel. Her daughter had complained that she couldn't find any books she wanted to read, so M G aimed to create a contemporary thriller that would appeal to both boys and girls, using the background of her interest in Mayan archaeology that had been inspired by her frequent visits to Mexico to visit family. The stories incorporate alleged sightings of UFOs in Mexico- her presentation included fascinating footage of the Campeche incident in 2004, when Mexican pilots recorded some UFOs. Her books also contain references to codes and code breaking, and the Mexican Long Count Calendar, which has lead to speculation that they believed the world would end in 2012.
After her talk and presentation the audience were able to ask questions about her writing and the inspiration for her books. She never uses pen and paper, but always writes on a computer or other digital device. She saves all corrections and versions of her writing for future use. The neon PVC jackets for the three Joshua Files, designed by her publisher, Scholastic, were very successful in bringing attention to the books. They were produced in a limited edition and are now sold out. The American edition is due out soon, with a completely different cover. The character of Josh is based on her nephew. M G loves to research her books by travelling to the locations she wants to use, to get the real feel of a place. She photographs places, people and cars so she can use her memories when she returns home.
The Joshua Files, as well as being an exciting thriller, also contains many ideas and references to Mayan history, code breaking, UFOs, music and cars, making them essential reading for your summer holiday!
Celia Rees Talk - 19th April 2010
On Monday 19th April, 15 boys walked to Crosby Civic Hall to see one of the most famous names in children's writing, Celia Rees. They were able to buy copies of her books and then meet the author to have them signed.
Celia Rees studied history and politics, and then taught for 10 years. She then became a full time writer, and has published 20 novels for children. Witch Child is her most popular book.
Her inspiration for her latest novel The Fool's Girl was seeing a student production of her favourite Shakepearian play Twelfth Night, near the river in Stratford-Upon-Avon, in 2005. She said that she liked this play because it is short, funny and has no boring bits. Feste the fool reminded her of modern stand up comedians. She decided to base a novel on this story of mistaken identity, disguise and impossible love affairs. She chose Dubrovnik as the real place instead of the imaginary Illyria. Her main character she named Violetta, the daughter of Viola. She decided to use the south bank of the Thames and the Globe Theatre, the entertainment district of Shakespeare's London, as another location. The book, set in 1601, contains a wealth of historical detail and creates a vivid picture of seventeenth century London.
The Fool's Girl took her two years to write, as she started it in January 2008, although she had the idea three years earlier. Many of her novels are historical although she has also written in other genres such as thrillers and vampire stories. She asked the audience their opinion on her next novel, for which she had two different ideas- a contemporary thriller or a supernatural story set in late Victorian London. She has also considered writing a book online.
Mrs Rea
Tim Quinn
World Book Day 4th March 2010
Before his day started Tim displayed some of his own wonderful artwork and illustrations for various publications.
Tim did a series of cartoon workshops during lessons, for all Year 7 pupils, and classes from Year 9, 10 and the sixth form. Boys were amazed to learn that you could earn a living by colouring-in. Tim, who used to be the editor of Marvel Comics in New York, described how his first job on a Monday morning was to motivate the artists who worked in the basement of the company building. They had to work to tight deadlines, and were always searching for new ideas for characters and plots. Some artists were employed solely to colour the drawings - Tim said that this was a highly skilled job, and that the best colourists could transform mediocre artwork by using vibrant colours. He showed us some original Marvel pages- the boys were surprised to see that they were larger than normal comics. They were created in a large format and scaled down for printing to make details easier to create.
Tim asked the pupils in the workshops to create emotions on faces by using simple techniques. They then drew stick figures, and transformed them by creating movement and more natural poses. He then asked the boys to create a comic strip character based on themselves, standing on a skateboard that could travel through time and have adventures in history. He told them that everyone could draw and that practice is essential so that drawing eventually becomes as natural as walking.
His lunchtime talk on the history of comic strips finished all too soon when the bell went for afternoon lessons. His audience of pupils listened enthralled as he traced the development of their much-loved superheroes. From the origins of comics as cave paintings, Tim took us through the art of ancient Egypt, pamphlets and broadsheets, to the Victorian character Ally Sloper. He described the development of the American comics, and familiar character like Superman and Spiderman, and others like Wonder Man and Moon Girl that have faded into obscurity. Southport even got a mention as the birthplace of the Eagle and The Lion. Familiar characters in the Dandy and Beano had to constantly change and attract a new generation of readers. Comics have also been used not only for entertainment but also for propaganda and education.
Tim left his audience enthused about drawing, and with a new perspective on comics and illustration.
ER
5.3.10
Lee Child Visit - April 2009
On St George's Day Lee Child visited Merchant Taylors, which was also the day his new novel, Gone Tomorrow was published. Lee, who has been writing the series since 1995, started out writing with pen and paper at a time when computers in the home were scarce. His reference to email in one of the early novels seemed very exotic! However now he is a dedicated computer fan.
He created his hero Jack Reacher after he lost his job in television. Jack was an example of someone who had no job or ties, so was a symbol of the many redundancies of the time. He described how Jack was a universal figure- the mysterious, rootless man is found is westerns, medieval literature and many other cultures.
Lee advised his audience to read novels as a means of illuminating history and current affairs. Details fascinate him so much that in one of his novels the entire plot hinges on the fact that all American banknotes are the same size. He enjoys being an author although he misses the company of the colleagues he had at work. Lee now lives in New York, although he was born in Coventry. He worked for 18 years for Granada Television in Manchester as a producer. After his redundancy, his investment in £6 worth of paper and pencils has made him one of the best selling authors in English!
Lee Child at Merchant Taylors
GTX Bookworms Visit to the Hornby Library - January 2009
GTX Bookworms boys visited Liverpool Central Library in William Brown Street at the end of January. This street is a treasure trove of museums, galleries and libraries, and we could easily have spent the entire day there!
Birds of America
However we headed for the Hornby Library to see one of Liverpool's most prized possessions. Outside the library is an art nouveau copper plaque dedicating it to its patron, Hugh Frederick Hornby. Hornby donated £10,000 to construct the building, which was opened in 1906.
Janet Graham from Liverpool Libraries showed us a fascinating variety of rare books and documents from the collection. We saw a letter signed by Elizabeth I, and a certificate presented to the City of Liverpool by one of the Apollo astronauts, incorporating an American flag that had circled the moon. The Oak Room contains 4,000 of the rarest books in the collection. We were shown the most famous of Liverpool's rare volumes- the four volume elephant folio set of Audubon's Birds of America. The last set of these to be auctioned was sold for $8,000,000. Audubon came to Liverpool and received sponsorship from the Rathbone family, which enabled him to produce this incredible book of life size engravings of birds. The colours are still fresh and vibrant, even after surviving water damage when a bomb fell on the library in the May blitz of 1941.
Visit by Peadar Ó Guilín - 20th November 2008
On a recent visit to MTBS library the Dublin author Peadar Ó Guilín talked about the violent and visceral world in his recent science fiction novel The Inferior. It is set in a world where all the plants are poisonous and where all creatures have to hunt each other to survive. Humans and other intelligent species have a constant battle to stay alive.
Peadar Ó Guilín grew up as a fanatical reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy and cites the first book to ‘light a spark in' him as ‘The Hobbit'. One of his school reports claimed that he had ‘a talent for communication, which he abuse[d].' It is therefore unremarkable that he developed a talent for writing ‘curious stories'!
When one pupil asked him what it was like to write, he described the pressure of deadlines by comparing a novel to having to write an essay, then having to do the same every day for 3 solid months. He has dabbled in stand up comedy, but now enjoys the creativity of writing.
His book is to be translated into several languages and has received many favourable reviews. We wish him luck with the sequel!
Melvin Burgess visit - Monday 23rd October 2008
Melvin Burgess, the award winning children’s writer, spoke to a lunchtime audience in the library about his writing. His favourite of all his books is Cry of the Wolf. His more recent books, Bloodtide and Bloodsong, are based on the mythology of the Icelandic sagas, even though they are set in a futuristic London dominated by gang warfare. He also described the difficulties of creating a novel from the film script of Billy Elliot. During an English lesson he spoke to 100 older pupils about his novel Junk, which won the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Children’s Fiction Award in 1997. He explained that the characters were all based on real people he knew from his time living in Bristol. Pupils were able to ask Melvin many questions about his writing.
