Author, Michelle Moran, gives King's Ely's inaugural Lowery Lecture - and concludes Festival of Reading celebrations

We were thrilled to welcome bestselling historical fiction author, Michelle Moran, to King's!

Not only was Michelle's talk, entitled 'Brave New Worlds', a brilliant way to conclude our week-long Senior and Sixth Form Festival of Reading, but it also marked our inaugural Lowery Lecture, held in memory of inspirational teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend of King's, Mr Anthony Lowery.

Hundreds of students and staff members came together in the Hayward Theatre on October 4th to hear Michelle talk about her fascinating career, and the inspirations for some of her novels. A native of southern California, Michelle attended Pomona College, then earned a Masters Degree from the Claremont Graduate University. During her six years as a public high school teacher, she used her summers to travel around the world, and it was her experiences as a volunteer on archaeological digs that inspired her to write historical fiction. Her novels, translated into more than 20 different languages, include Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, Cleopatra’s Daughter, Madame Tussaud, The Second Empress, Rebel Queen, Mata Hari, and Maria. Michelle, who now lives with her family near Ely, is currently researching her ninth book.

Speaking after her lecture, Michelle said: "I was so impressed by the students' curiosity and obvious passion for learning. Thank you King's Ely for a wonderful visit."

Our annual Festival of Reading is organised to celebrate all things books, literacy, and reading!

Mrs Charlotte Smith, King's Ely Senior's School Librarian, said: "We ran a book swap all week in the Monastic Barn, which was thoroughly enjoyed by pupils. We held tutor time literary quizzes, we ran a scavenger hunt to find escaping book covers, we discovered reading recommendations across subjects ranging from Chemistry and Maths to History and Drama, we shared ‘now and next’ fiction reading recommendations, we found out what teachers are reading, and we ran a very successful 'Picture Me Reading' competition. Author, Michelle Moran, visited school to talk about her novels and her writing process, while students enjoyed sharing poetry with each other during the 'Drop Everything and Read Challenge' for National Poetry Day. What a wonderful week of celebrating reading!"