World famous author Barbara Taylor Bradford is inspiring a new generation of young female writers to put pen to paper.
The best-selling English novelist appeared at Highbury Fields School, in Highbury Hill, last week for a National Literacy Trust debate on the position of women in writing.
Ms Taylor Bradford gave an inspirational talk about her literary career and encouraged the aspiring writers to persevere and “achieve whatever men can”.
“I have no doubt that having heard Ms Taylor-Bradford, our girls will be putting pen to paper in a quest to become the next great British author,” said headteacher, Gladys Berry.
The debate panel was shared by one of the school’s highest achieving girls, Harper-Collins’ publishing director and Guardian literary editor, Claire Armistead, who spoke about the lack of prominent female role models in the literary world.
Highbury Fields is the highest performing all-girls state schools in Islington, with 86 per cent of students achieving high grades in GCSE English in 2013.
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