Nicola Davies is our new Writer in Residence, urging children to explore the natural world
Published on: 03 September 2018
Nicola Davies, prolific author of children’s books, has been appointed the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust – and she wants to encourage children to get outside and seek out nature.
Nicola Davies is the author of well-known children’s books such as The Day the War Came and Lots, among many others.
During her six-month residency for BookTrust, Nicola will be drawing on her experience as a zoologist, former Wildlife presenter and now creative writing teacher and author to get children to discover more about the natural world through words and pictures.
More about our Writer in Residence
Poetry and finding ideas
Nicola Davies says about her residency at BookTrust:
'I’m very happy to have been chosen to be a Writer in Residence for BookTrust – there are soooooooo many things I want to do over the next few months! I love nature, poems and pictures, so there will be lots of focus on these.
'My aim for each of the posts of my residency is to offer you a bit of the three ‘Is' – that’s Information, Ideas and Inspiration. Information, because you may need some clues about what you’re going to write about; Ideas because you might need some help with how to write; and Inspiration so that you can really feel that your writing can be fabulous.'
Other highlights of Nicola’s residency will include a poetry competition for primary schools, sharing her favourite poems about nature, encouraging children to look at the beautiful world around them and sharing what they see with pictures and poems.
Reading adventures
Diana Gerald, BookTrust CEO says:
'We are delighted to announce Nicola as the next BookTrust Writer in Residence. This online project gives visitors to BookTrust’s website a special insight into the brilliant minds of an array of writers and illustrators.
'We fully support Nicola on her mission to get children exploring and appreciating the natural world. We hope children across the country enjoy getting outside discovering, reading and writing about their adventures.'
Blogging about children's books
The BookTrust Writer in Residence project has been running since March 2009 and has featured authors and illustrators including Nadia Shireen, Cressida Cowell, Sita Brahmachari, Patrick Ness, Polly Dunbar, Bali Rai, Matt Haig, Laura Dockrill, Chris Riddell, Sarah McIntyre, Philip Ardagh, Taran Matharu and Phil Earle.
The residency encourages each writer or illustrator to explore topics that they are passionate about, with past residents exploring themes such as the power of stories, diversity in children’s literature and the importance of libraries.
Topics: Writer in Residence, News