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Posted on: January 20th 2026
Whitmore Welcomes Celebrated Author Ele Fountain
Last term, Ele Fountain, author of Boy 87 and Lost, delivered an assembly and two creative writing workshops for our Year 7 students.
Ele Fountain has written seven novels and won multiple awards for her debut Boy 87, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Carnegie Medal. As Boy 87 is studied in the Year 7 Autumn curriculum, her visit offered students valuable insight into the novel’s themes of displacement, family and friendship, as well as the writer’s creative process.
During the assembly, students enjoyed hearing how Boy 87 began, how a book is published, and what a writer’s working life looks like. They asked thoughtful questions about her drafting process, career beginnings and - importantly - whether she really means to use the language devices they analyse in lessons. She does!
Ele then led two creative writing workshops for 60 students in the library. With support from librarians Toni and Bruce, she explored how stories are built through character, plot and setting, giving students a practical “story tree” to shape their own ideas. After the sessions, she signed books and judged entries for a 500-word short story competition.
The visit proved hugely inspiring - every Ele Fountain book in the library was borrowed immediately afterwards.
Here are a few student reflections:
“The workshops inspired me to write stories. Ele said anyone can write — you don’t need to be an author.” Fatima
“Her advice about writing as a career was inspiring because that’s what I want to do.” Maya
“Her talk helped me understand the novel so much better.” Maria
“She gave such interesting insights into the book and answered questions I’d been wondering about.” Pari
Ele Fountain was impressed with our students and telling us that they were “engaged, inquisitive and creative.”
