World Poetry Day

TODAY IS WORLD POETRY DAY!

4th October 2018

This month we have been adding poetry books from a number of different styles, approaches and genres. Here are just a few that you can come and get stuck into in the Library to celebrate the musical storytelling beauty and creative art of poetry:

  The Complete Poems: Anne Sexton with a foreword by Maxine Kumin

Anne Sexton was a stream of consciousness poet who reflected on mental health issues and women's experience in the world with great candour: very moving stuff. 

Year 7 Literary Event

J. P. Smythe Author Visit

On Monday 18th June, Year Seven had an afternoon with the award winning author JP Smythe. The students have been introduced to Smythe’s Australia series in Year 7 Activity discussions about effective book covers and exploring the science fiction and dystopian genres.

Book Review by Student Librarian, Year 9

BGS Literary Events Post:

The Library team are really proud to share this amazing book review of Sally Green's The Smoke Thieves, written by our very own, Pupil Librarian J, who gave it a thorough thumbs up and five stars! 

To be published by Penguin on the 3rd May, we can foresee this being a popular Spring read in the Library. 

We sincerely hope to hear more from this eloquent student reviewer, tell us more J!

http://literaryevents.bristolgrammarschool.org.uk/the-smoke-thieves-book-review/

Always check out the BGS Literary Events site for reviews, up-coming author visit dates and new book releases.

Black History Month!

Black History Month is raising awareness of and celebrating Black heritage all October!  

Mrs Osafo has made a shelf-top display with an emphasis on British Black History. 

It shows off fiction, non-fiction and DVDs that discuss individual experiences of the country's diverse and rich cultural, racial and ethnic past. 

Imperative reading on struggles for equality and justice, so come in and grab one of these great books:

National Non-Fiction Month

It’s National Non-Fiction Month for November and there are plenty of new books in the Library to celebrate it with! Whether it is for work or pleasure, we have some fascinating reading for you on every subject. What is your thing?

Biology…

Technology…

Computing…

Cookery…

Politics…

Law…

History…

Media…

Linguistics…

Biography…

Psychology…

Whatever your interest, make this month about new stories, new ideas and new challenges with non-fiction.

A Morning With Chris Bradford

 

On Wednesday 30^th April, BGS was treated to an exciting morning with the author Chris Bradford who came to talk to year 6 and 7 about his Bodyguard series. Over the course of the morning Mr Bradford spoke about what it is to be a bodyguard, gave a reading of his new novel Ransom, and gave some bodyguard training.

 

Before the talk began BGS students were given first-hand experience of a bodyguard in action. Mr Huckle was up on stage in the Great Hall talking to years 6 and 7 when all of a sudden Chris Bradford was informed of a threat to Mr Huckle and instantly grabbed Mr Huckle and got him to safety.  It was a very exciting start to the morning!

An Evening With Malorie Blackman

On Monday 25^th November, BGS was extremely lucky to have a visit and a talk from this year’s Children’s Laureate and prolific author Malorie Blackman. Ms Blackman covered lots of topics, including her novels, her love of writing, the joys of reading and even made brief mention of the rapper, Tinie Tempah!

The first thing that came as a surprise to many was the fact that Blackman has not always been a success. She explained how she received 82 rejection letters from various publishing houses before her first novel, Hacker, was picked up. She went onto describe how she became more determined after her rejections and the pure elation she then felt upon receiving her first offer of publication, even giving the audience an impression of herself hearing the exciting news (it involved a fair bit of screaming and dancing)!

An afternoon with Matt Dickinson - author event

Yesterday afternoon, our Year 7 students were treated to an enthralling talk by Matt Dickinson, a documentary film-maker and author.  He has worked extensively for National Geographic Television, the Discovery Channel and the BBC and is one of the very few film-makers to have filmed on the summit of Mount Everest.  Matt was ostensibly here to talk about his book, Mortal Chaos, a thrill-a-minute page turner based on the ‘butterfly effect’.  This term describes how small changes to seemingly unrelated things can affect large, complex systems. It comes from the suggestion that a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world can cause a hurricane in another part of the world!  Mortal Chaos links together many seemingly unrelated events and people in a series of short, readable chapters.  This makes it very suitable for reluctant readers of both sexes.

Stuffed Crocodiles and Gorilla Mimes: A Talk by Alan Gibbons, Thursday 3rd October 2013

One thing about knowing very little about an author is that you have no idea what to expect from them in person. This was certainly true for Alan Gibbons, author of ‘The Edge’, ‘Shadow of the Minotaur’, ‘Caught in the Crossfire’ and the Total Football series (to name but a few), who visited us on Thursday to give a talk to years 5, 6, and 7.

From the moment he began talking, the entire room was captivated (students and teachers alike!). Embellishing his sentences with a quick snippet of song or different voices for his many characters, there was never a moment that was not filled to the brim with infectious energy and humour. He even got the whole hall to mime as he told a story about a gorilla!

However the great joy of listening to Alan Gibbons was that within the comedy there was poignancy and hidden learning. Whether it was autobiographical anecdotes or thoughtful answers to students’ questions, we all left the Great Hall better off than when we stepped foot in it that morning.

Charlie Higson’s Visit to BGS: A Review by Olivia

Having read the entire bestselling Enemy series, I was expecting big things from this legendary writer. His books have sold internationally and continue to terrify readers across all ages.

As the audience arrived, they were greeted by great music from the band ‘China Shoe Girl’ (an anagram of Charlie Higson) and were directed towards the appropriately designed Zombie-themed food, courtesy of the catering staff who really went to town!

An Evening with Neil Gaiman

This week several members of the Library team went to the launch event of Neil Gaiman’s latest novel: The Ocean at the End of the Lane.  Originally planned to be a low-key intimate affair, the demand to see Gaiman was so great that the venue was upgraded twice!  For those who know Gaiman’s work, this should come as no surprise.  He has a dedicated fanbase who are willing to wait outside for hours in cold and rainy Bath for a glimpse of their literary idol.

For those unfamiliar with Neil Gaiman it is worth noting that, for over twenty years, he has written and produced some of the most thought-provoking and interesting fantasy novels (Good Omens, Neverwhere, American Gods), graphic novels (Sandman, Marvel 1602) and episodes of Doctor Who. Some of these have even been produced into films (Coraline, Stardust, Mirrormask).  His fans love him for good reason, and we were happy to count ourselves amongst them.

Zombie Apocalypse Imminent at BGS

They’ll chase you. They’ll rip you open. They’ll feed on you . . . When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician – every adult – fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they’re fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city – down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground – the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there alive?

Charlie Higson’s phenomenally popular young adult Enemy series continues with its fourth instalment, The Sacrifice, and we are thrilled to welcome him to BGS for a public literary event on Wednesday 19^th June.  Charlie will be taking the audience on a terrifying journey into the world of zombies and sickos, speaking about The Sacrifice and giving exclusive sneak previews of what to expect in his next book The Fallen.

BGS Welcomes Chris Skidmore: OB, MP & Tudor Historian

Our former students, Old Bristolians as they are affectionately known, are always welcome to visit their alma mater.  Oftentimes this will take the form of a wander around the grounds and a cup of tea with an old teacher or two.  Tomorrow we are happy to welcome OB and MP Chris Skidmore for something altogether more exciting: a public literary event focussing on his most recent work, Bosworth.

A Conversation with Michael Palin

This past Thursday evening I was lucky enough to find myself sat in St George’s concert hall, eagerly awaiting the arrival on-stage of Michael Palin: globetrotter, Python, BAFTA lifetime achievement winner and diarist.

One of the headlining events of the Bristol Festival of Ideas, the topic of conversation was Palin’s diaries, which is to say, his life.  Having kept a daily log for the majority of his adult life, Palin has decided to eschew the traditional celeb autobiography in favour of publishing these, in three volumes.

Curtis Jobling's Tour Through Wereworld

On Wednesday 15 May our Year 7 students were treated to an audience with Curtis Jobling: animator, designer, producer and most recently author of Young Adult fantasy horror series, Wereworld.

Extremes: An Engrossing Experience at the Bristol Festival of Ideas

On Sunday 12^th May, as part of this year’s Bristol Festival of Ideas, I had the good fortune to listen to a talk entitled ‘Extremes: Life, Death and the Limits of the Human Body’.  Delivered by Dr Kevin Fong (who has degree in astrophysics as well as medicine), the talk was a captivating blend of medical and engineering history.  Dr Fong interspersed his talk with fascinating stories showing how advances in medical science have been influenced by human exploration and pioneering work in aeronautical and mechanical engineering and technology.

BGS Welcomes Were-Author, Curtis Jobling

On Wednesday 15^th May, we are thrilled to be welcoming animator, illustrator and children’s author Curtis Jobling to BGS. 

Perhaps best known as the designer of the BAFTA winning Bob the Builder and Frankenstein’s Cat, Jobling has worked as an animator on projects as diverse as Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! and Bristol’s own Wallace & Gromit.  Jobling’s published children’s books include Dinosaurs After Dark, Skeleton in the Closet, My Daddy, Cheeky Monkey, of course, Frankenstein’s Cat.

Food For Thought this May at the Bristol Festival of Ideas

Leave your Wellies at home and put your thinking-caps on this May, as the Bristol Festival of Ideas returns to our fair city.  Now in its eighth year, this month-long event aims to stimulate your minds and passions with an inspiring programme of discussion and debate with experts from a massive range of fields.

In this post, we pick-out some of the events that the BGS Librarians are most excited to see.  In most cases we have copies of the speakers’ published works in the Library so you can check them out for yourself.

At the time of publishing, all events have tickets available and can be purchased from the Bristol Festival of Ideas website.

Britain’s Foremost Herb Expert Comes to Bristol Grammar School

‘Queen of herbs’ Jekka McVicar is giving a talk at Bristol Grammar School at 18:30 April 30^th: Herbs are More than a Garnish.

Jekka has been passionate about herbs since childhood and has run her own organic Herb Farm for over 25 years.  Located just outside Bristol, the Farm grows more than 600 varieties of culinary and medicinal plant from all over the world and has won more than 60 gold medals at Royal Horticultural Society shows, including 14 at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.  The author of 10 books and regular contributor to Gardener’s World and Good Food Magazine, Jekka is Britain’s foremost herb guru and has been featured in the Guardian and Independent newspapers and on numerous BBC programmes.

World Book Night Champions Graphic Novels

World BookNight is an annual celebration of books and reading that seeks to encourage those who do not regularly read to develop a love of literature.  Each year thousands of passionate volunteers distribute half a million free copies of specially-selected books to members of their communities and to those who might not have easy access to books.

For the first time in its history, World Book Night ’13 has selected a graphic novel for its shortlist.  The Dark Judges, a classic Judge Dredd story from 2000 AD, sees one of the longest-running comic book heroes face-up to his nemesis Judge Death and a slew of dangerous characters from alternate realities.