• Homepage
  • Admissions
  • Strategy 2022-2027
  • Stanfield Prep
    • A Word From Our Headmistress
    • About Our Wonderful School
    • An Excellent Education
    • Unrivalled Facilities
    • Compassion & Confidence
    • Endless Opportunities
    • Out Of Hours Care
    • Learning Support
    • Key Information
  • Senior Boys
    • A Word From Our Headmaster
    • About Our School
    • Departments & Curriculum
    • Co-Curricular & Enrichment
    • Pastoral Care
    • Learning Support
    • Key Information
  • Senior Girls
    • A Word From Our Headmistress
    • About Our School
    • Departments & Curriculum
    • Co-Curricular & Enrichment
    • Pastoral Care
    • Learning Support
    • Key Information
  • Sixth Form
    • About Our Sixth Form
    • Boys’ Sixth Form
    • Girls’ Sixth Form
    • Academic Excellence
    • Leadership Opportunities
    • Co-Curricular & Enrichment
    • Extended Project Qualification
    • Pastoral Care
    • Careers
    • University Applications
  • Merchants+ Facility Hire and Children’s Activities
  • Calendar
  • Events
  • Latest News
  • Contact Us
  • Job Vacancies
  • Alumni & Development
  • SOCS Sports
  • Our Family
  • Stanfield Prep
  • Senior Boys
  • Menu Spacer ALWAYS KEEP IN MIDDLE
  • Senior Girls
  • Sixth Form
  • Admissions

MENU

World Book Day Visit by Dan Smith

World Book Day event

Visit by Dan Smith

Tuesday 1st March 2016

 

Dan, now a successful writer for both children and adults, was inspired by his early love of stories. His favourite film, Star Wars, which he saw when he was seven, made him want to be his hero Han Solo.  He loved everything about the film, and the action figures.  His childhood was spent travelling the world, as his family lived in many exotic locations following the jobs of his father, a chemical engineer.  For a long time Dan was home schooled, and enjoyed the freedom of living in places like Brazil, Indonesia and Russia.  However when he was sent to boarding school in England to continue his education, stories became his comfort and escapism when he was feeling homesick.  He started to make up stories as well as reading them, and when he was in his late teens he wrote them down.

The boys were enthralled by Dan’s tales of sitting in the crater of an active volcano, fishing for piranhas, contending with the most poisonous spider in the world in one of his childhood homes, and encountering snakes, scorpions, ants, armadillos and jaguars.  They were also intrigued by his description of the lawlessness of Brazil.  His family lived in a remote part of the country where the only policeman was usually drunk or asleep, and where guns were commonly kept by most of the workers his father employed. He has used this landscape as the background to some of his novels.

His advice to budding writers was to practice constantly and let your imagination have free rein.  It is also crucial to read widely.  Dan’s favourite books include The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and anything by J K Rowling who he thinks is a wonderful writer.  He loves the freedom of being an author, and enjoys events in schools as children are so enthusiastic.  In the afternoon Dan inspired some creative writers with advice and fun activities, based on film clips from The Thing, and Children of Men, and extracts from the graphic novel Walking Dead.

His latest book Boy X, is set in a high tech research facility on a remote tropical island.  Ash must travel through the jungle to save his Mum and her colleagues who have been infected with a deadly virus.  The plot of Big Game was not his own idea, but was first a film script that he was asked to turn into a novel.  The film, which stars Samuel L Jackson, is about a plot to kidnap the American president after his plane Air Force One is shot down.  My Friend the Enemy was inspired by the wartime coastal defences.  His next book, which should be published early next year, is about a boy who goes to a training centre in the Antarctic.

 

Dan Smith2

Dan Smith

_TMC0966-2

SHARE:

Previous Post All News Next Post

Latest News

  • MTGS Choir Italy Tour
  • CCF Army Annual Camp
  • School shortlisted for innovation award
  • Anniversary service at Liverpool Cathedral
  • Merchants’ girls walk in memory of Freya
View All News

Upcoming Events

  • Summer Holiday Club on July 7, 2022 8:00 am
  • Summer Holiday Club on July 8, 2022 8:00 am
  • Summer Holiday Club on July 11, 2022 8:00 am
  • Summer Holiday Club on July 12, 2022 8:00 am
  • Summer Holiday Club on July 13, 2022 8:00 am
View All Events

Join our family

admissions information sign up to our newsletter

SHARE:

Back to top

Instagram Feed

Our exciting, specialist two-day Cricket Camp is t Our exciting, specialist two-day Cricket Camp is taking place on the 24 and 25 August and is open for boys and girls aged 9-14. 🏏

The sessions will take place in our outdoor cricket nets and focus on seam and spin bowling followed by all aspects of fielding and batting.

Children will benefit from working with with former Lancashire Academy Director Gary Yates, improving on all aspects of their game.

Click the link in our bio to find out more or to book.
We currently have a number of positions available We currently have a number of positions available to join our team at Merchant Taylors' School including:

Teaching Assistant (Level 3)
Development & Alumni Relations Assistant
Senior IT Technician
IT Technician

To find out more about any of these roles, or to apply please click the link in our bio.
A #ThrowbackThursday to our Year 10 boys' final Sp A #ThrowbackThursday to our Year 10 boys' final Spanish lesson of the year. 

Pupils joined Dr Goodwin and Sr Rubia to cook a 'tortilla española' during the lesson following the traditional recipe and all turned out well!

¡Qué rico!
We have had more than 1,000 items of pre-loved uni We have had more than 1,000 items of pre-loved uniform kindly donated by parents across the school covering boys and girls of all ages.

From Monday these will be available from the Old Gym located at the Boys' School daily from 9am to 3pm. Any families who may wish to take advantage of this service are welcome to do so without prior appointment or charge. 

If you have any uniform that you no longer require and would like to donate, they too can be dropped off at the Old Gym.

Tomorrow we would welcome support from any pupils or parents as we organise all stock and prepare for Monday. If you would like to assist please contact Mrs Byrne via c.byrne@merchanttaylors.com.
We are seeking to appoint a Development & Alumni R We are seeking to appoint a Development & Alumni Relations Assistant. This role offers the opportunity to support the delivery of exciting and dynamic events and activities, with the primary aim of engaging alumni from across the world.

A key component of the role is to build relationships across the Merchant Taylors’ and wider school community, encouraging alumni, former staff and former parents to maintain contact with the school and each other.

Find out more or apply by clicking the link in our bio.
A team of recent leavers are working hard in prepa A team of recent leavers are working hard in preparation for the school's first ever Telethon, taking place in August to raise money for bursaries.

Many lives are transformed each year by regular gifts from alumni and members of the wider Merchant Taylors' community; there are currently 51 pupils at school on transformational bursaries (those 85-110% funded) thanks to these donations. 

We are looking forward to welcoming two new Year 7 pupils in September on the newly created Merchants Gives bursaries, funded by your donations last summer. The Telethon will build on that success as we aim to continue to increase bursary provision at school.
We are delighted that Old Crosbeian Bill Birchall will be providing matched funding to incentivise new regular donors.

To support the our bursary fund or find out more, please click the link in our bio.
This summer holiday we are pleased to be hosting a This summer holiday we are pleased to be hosting a Sale Sharks Rugby Development Camp at Merchant Taylors’ School for under 7s to Under 12s on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 August.

The Rugby Development Camps are delivered by the award-winning @sharkscommunity team and offer young players the opportunity to develop alongside RFU qualified coaches with a wealth of experience in the community and academy game. 

The experience of Sale Sharks’ coaches means that Rugby Development Camps provide the perfect balance of insight and intensity in a fun environment.

Find out more or book a place via the link in our bio.
The tour choir finally landed back in Manchester o The tour choir finally landed back in Manchester on Thursday after a safe flight with @jet2pics and here is Sophie's round up:

Thank you to the staff at @jet2pics for asking us to sing to one of the passengers on our plane who was celebrating their birthday. It was wonderful to finish off our tour with one final song in yet another unique and memorable venue! #Jet2View 

Our airplane performance was inspired by our impromptu singing in the streets of Venice, where we sang to a lady in a restaurant who was celebrating her 80th birthday. After the way in which our performance was received by the public in Venice, we decided to continue this with another grand happy birthday wish from the choir when we found out there was someone with a birthday on board our flight.

We have also included recordings of some of our other performances in Italy, including ‘City Called Heaven’ (featuring soloist Mary) and ‘May It Be’ in the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo as well as the very special ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, performed in the Villa Ducale.

We are all so thankful for the opportunities that this tour has brought to us and every single member of the choir has brought home memories to last a lifetime. Thank you to everyone who has kept up with reading our blog whilst we have been away; we are so glad that we could share this experience with you.
An absolutely breathtaking performance from @merch An absolutely breathtaking performance from @merchantsalum and Mezzo-soprano @jjohnstonmezzo at the @bbc_proms this evening.

Be sure to catch it on the IPlayer if you missed it. 

#FirstNightOfTheProms
Merchant Taylors' image

LINKS
Intranet
Calendar
Policies
Firefly
Contact

 
Join Our Team
News
Events
Governance

ADDITIONAL INFO
Disclaimer
Privacy Policy
GDPR document
Cookie Usage
Terms & Conditions
Website Credits

Admissions Enquiries: 0151 949 9366
Primary School: 0151 924 1506
Senior Girls: 0151 924 3140
Senior Boys: 0151 928 3308
Sports Centre: 0151 949 9355

The Merchant Taylors’ School
Liverpool Road
Crosby
Liverpool
L23 0QP

Our social links

© The Merchant Taylors’ Schools, Crosby
Company No: 6654276
Registered Charity No: 1125485

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT