Award-winning author Hannah Gold captivated by debut BCHS visit
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
ENVIROMENTAL issues took centre stage when Buckie Community High School (BCHS) welcomed award-winning children's author Hannah Gold.
Ms Gold spoke to over 160 P7 pupils from local primary schools at a packed session held at BCHS's Highfield Hall in what was to be a fun and interactive session.
During the wide-ranging session, the author talked about her latest book – Finding Bear, a sequel to The Last Bear – which is due out in September, which the youngsters later having the opportunity to buy a copy and have it signed by the author.
In what was her first visit to Buckie, Ms Gold said she had had a great time, describing the area as "really gorgeous".
She said: "I wanted to introduce who I am, introduce the books, introduce where I get my inspiration and some of the research elements behind them as some of the books have quite a lot of research involved.
"I also wanted to share my story of becoming an author and also tie in my work with WDC.
"We did a quiz, which was quite fun. If it's just me at the front talking it gets a bit stale so it's good to get the kids involved. One of the questions in the quiz was 'How big is a gray whale – one elephant, two elephants or three elephants?'. The answer was three elephants so we measured that out in the room to give them this visual perception of how big that it.
"It was really enjoyable. When you come into a room and not many people have heard of you then you have to work at it but they were lovely.
"For me the favourite bit is always talking to them afterwards. Obviously you've got maybe eight different schools [in the room] and because they're outside their normal environment I think some of them were quite shy. When they come to the signing table we have that little pocket of time, which is really lovely, and I can find out more about them then. You get to know them as an individual rather than as a member of a group."
A career as a children's author was something Ms Gold said she always hankered after, although it did not always look as if it would happen.
She continued: "I was young and quite shy and had to overcome quite a few hurdles to make my dreams come true.
"I've always wanted to be a kids' author. Even when I was older my favourite books were still kids' books.
"I though becoming an author was one of those impossible dreams – I was bit like 'Should I go for it or not go for it?' – and I tried writing a couple of young adult books but nothing really happened with that.
"I got to my forties and then I just decided 'You know what? The greatest courage is going for your dream – you've got to put yourself on the line'. If I failed at least I could say that I've tried.
"So I went for it and I wrote The Last Bear. It was born out of all the things I love, like a love of animals, and it was quite heartfelt.
"I got the publishing deal and it all took off.
"I never expected to be a multi-award winning author when I started out. I knew The Last Bear had something special, I felt that instinct about it, but when it kept growing and growing I thought 'wow!' this really is quite something. It's quite a emotional book and it's resonated with a lot of people, it hit the right spots at the right time."
However, visiting Moray was not just about books for the author, with Ms Gold taking some time to visit Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) centre at Spey Bay. An ambassador for the charity, she took some time to find out more about the work of the centre and also enjoy a dolphin spotting trip out into the Moray Firth, during which she was thrilled to see a pod of the creatures.
BCHS librarian Stephen Leitch, who helped organise the visit, said it had been an excellent experience for all.
He continued: "It was a magnificent session and it was great to have al the P7s from the Buckie ASG here to enjoy it and spread the idea of reading for pleasure.
"Hannah's talk was very interactive and she also talked about her work as an ambassador for the charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
"I've had lots of positive feedback about the session, which is great."
Ms Gold's visit was funded by the Scottish Book Trust.
