Sedgefield Community College Celebrates World Book Day

Pupils at Sedgefield Community College marked World Book Day with a series of activities designed to deepen their engagement with reading and storytelling.

In the lead-up to the day, pupils explored themes of empathy and perspective through a lesson based on Read Between The Lies by Malcolm Duffy. The session encouraged pupils to think about how stories can help readers understand different experiences, including discussions around dyslexia, trauma and the importance of seeing situations from different viewpoints.

As part of the celebrations, pupils also welcomed Malcolm Duffy to the school for a special author visit. During the session, he spoke about his book Me Mam. Me Dad. Me, sharing insights into the inspiration behind the story and discussing themes of family relationships, hope and resilience. The visit gave pupils the opportunity to hear directly from a published author and learn more about the process of writing and developing a story.

Alongside the author talk, pupils were invited to take part in writers’ workshops where they could explore their own creative ideas and develop their storytelling skills. The sessions offered valuable guidance on writing techniques while encouraging pupils to express their own voices through creative work.

To mark the occasion further, pupils were also encouraged to enter the national design competition organised by National Book Tokens, giving them the chance to combine creativity with their passion for reading.

Copies of Malcolm Duffy’s books were made available for pupils to purchase, allowing those inspired by the visit to continue exploring his work.

The activities provided a meaningful way to celebrate World Book Day, highlighting the power of reading to spark creativity, encourage discussion and connect pupils with the wider world of literature.