Ellesmere College Officially Opens KS2 Reading Room with Visit from Award-Winning Author Caryl Lewis

Ellesmere College marked the official opening of its Key Stage 2 Reading Room with a special visit from multi-award-winning Welsh author Caryl Lewis, who spent the morning inspiring pupils with a talk about her writing life and her latest fantasy novel, Quill and the Last Generation.

Pupils gathered in the Arts Centre to hear Lewis speak about storytelling, imagination and the power of myth, drawing on Welsh folklore and her own childhood reading experiences. The session offered pupils a fascinating insight into the creative process and the ideas behind her new book, which follows twelve-year-old Quill in a world locked in permanent winter.

Following the talk, Lewis visited the KS2 Reading Room, where she officially opened the space by cutting the ribbon — a symbolic moment that marked the beginning of a new chapter. Designed to be calm, welcoming and child-centred, the Reading Room has been created to encourage pupils to read for enjoyment, curiosity and escape.

Simon Fisher, Key Stage 2 Teacher, spoke about the significance of the new space:

“Together, we wanted to create a space that makes children want to read — somewhere that feels inviting, comfortable and quietly exciting. Reading for pleasure is absolutely vital; it builds imagination, empathy and confidence. This room isn’t about reading because you have to — it’s about reading because you want to.”

The Reading Room forms part of a wider commitment to nurturing a strong reading culture across KS2. Recent improvements, including new furnishings, décor and books, aim to ensure that reading is seen not just as a skill, but as a lifelong source of enjoyment and inspiration.

The school was delighted to combine the opening with Lewis’s visit, giving pupils the opportunity to meet a writer whose work celebrates bravery, imagination and finding your own voice — themes that resonate strongly with the ethos of the new space.