Author Maz Evans visits Belhaven
Report written by Sophia D
S-T-O-R-Y
Somebody tries
To get what they want.
Oh no, what’s in the way?
Rescued now, what happens next?
You’ll have to see - hooray!
We left lesson one and entered Belhaven church, left of our school gates, to join an author visit, showcasing Maz Evans’ newest book, one of nineteen, The Last Bard. The Last Bard is a children’s book exploring the world of Shakespeare through the eyes of an eleven-year-old boy, Will Davenant, who discovers that he is the last living descendant of William Shakespeare and that the complete works of Shakespeare, a book in his late grandfather’s flat, makes Shakespeare’s characters come to life.
The talk began with the sharing of Maz Evan’s life story which soon progressed into how she first took up writing. She mentioned how it was her grandmother who was the inspiration for where The Last Bard takes place, was the person to promote her education, and who, unlike others in her family, enjoyed literature.
Maz created an acronym for storytelling which stood true to what she believed were the most valuable aspects of a story. She informed us that the characters make the book and not the setting, and that the main character and the obstacles that they must overcome are of paramount importance in a book. From that there are two outcomes; either the character’s wishes are indulged or the opposite is true.
At the end of the speech, Maz engaged us in a chant of the acronym STORY, at first by the boys, then the girls, then the adults, and then altogether once more. This left S-T-O-R-Y engrained in our minds for the next opportunity when we have the chance to write creatively.
