Junior School students introduce Cressida Cowell at the Cambridge Literary Festival

As a long-term sponsor of both the Spring and Winter Cambridge Literary Festivals, St Mary's is always delighted to see our students enjoy making the introductions at our chosen author's event.

This Spring Festival gave Dora D. and Esme K. not only the opportunity to meet and introduce Cressida Cowell, author of the best-selling 'How to Train Your Dragon' series, but also to hand over an award that even Cressida herself did not know about before the event. Dora and Esme were delighted to present her with the CLF Contribution to Children's Reading Award, and when you listen to her talk about her books, the inspiration behind them, and the importance of reading and writing your own stories, it's easy to agree there could have been no better recipient.

Her talk, filled with anecdotes from her childhood and advice on how to write a good story, held both adults and children's full attention for the whole event and the books she kindly signed, for both the girls and for our own school library, will, we are sure, be well read many times over.

As Cressida points out, those vital literacy skills which St Mary's places such emphasis on - the ability to read, write and listen, are such an important part of growing up and mastering the 'three magical powers' of intelligence, creativity and empathy.