Author Catherine Bruton shares joy of storytelling at World Book Day workshops

Calne schools, St Mary’s and St Margaret’s Prep, were delighted to collaborate with the Marlborough Literature Festival to host an inspiring creative writing workshop led by acclaimed author Mrs Catherine Bruton. Whilst Mrs Bruton is well known to us as a talented English teacher, she is also a highly successful writer of many award-winning and critically acclaimed novels for children and young adults. We were also very pleased to welcome pupils from Devizes School as part of our joint celebration of World Book Day 2026.

Mrs Bruton delivered an energetic and captivating session, offering pupils valuable insight into her creative process and bringing the craft of writing vividly to life. Her guidance on drafting, revising and shaping ideas enabled pupils from all attending schools to feel confident, supported and enthusiastic about developing their own stories.

Over the course of the morning, more than 350 pupils took part in this fast-paced, interactive workshop. The children were fully immersed in the experience and continued to discuss and refine their stories long after the session had ended. Catherine not only inspired them to write, but also encouraged them to take creative risks, persevere through challenges and enjoy the process of storytelling.

Mrs Bruton said, ‘What an absolute pleasure to work again with the wonderful Marlborough Literature Festival and to spend a morning weaving stories with the brilliant bookworms and talented authors of St Margaret’s and St Mary’s, along with pupils from Devizes School I was absolutely blown away by the quality of stories our young people produced. Definitely some future best-sellers in the making!’

The event had an exceptional impact on all who attended, and it was a pleasure to partner with Marlborough Literature Festival to deliver such a memorable experience.

Mrs Claire Bolton
Head of Community and Partnerships