Tarzan Author Swings Into Longcroft

On the 10th and 11th March, the author and screenwriter Andy Briggs visited Longcroft School and Sixth Form College to talk to students, alongside some of their parents.

Giving a lively presentation about how he became a writer, Mr Briggs enthralled the audience by talking about his books, the creative process and his career as a writer. His works including a re-working of the Tarzan stories, plus the Hero.com and Villain.net series for Oxford University Press.

Andy explained that as a youngster he had initially not liked reading books, but instead preferred the daring adventures in comics and graphic novels. This, however, led him to read Edgar Rice Burroughs famous Tarzan books, which led to a lifelong passion for those stories. Fulfilling an ambition, he eventually gained official permission from the Rice Burroughs estate to reimagine his hero Tarzan for a new generation.

The session finished with Andy’s jungle Survival Quiz, which some but not all students managed to survive! They also had the opportunity to find out what makes a writer tick during a question and answer session. In addition, he ran a creative writing workshop with Year 10 students, which got their imaginations working in overdrive with some very creative story ideas being developed.

The students involved were clearly impressed, with many of them encouraged to not just read his works, but also try their own hand at writing.

Leah, Year 9, said:

“I thought Andy Briggs was fantastic. He’s hilarious and has so many amazing stories to tell about where his work has taken him. he gave advice to aspiring writers like me and I am so happy that i got to meet him.”

Katie in Year 8 added: “This talk has inspired me to read more and write more.”

This was backed up by Year 7 student Joseph, who said: “He was inspiring and funny – he brought fun into writing and reading.”

However, it was not just students who enjoyed the day. Parents of youngsters in Year 7 and 8 were also invited to attend, to make this not just a memorable event, but to also encourage families to read together. In feedback, one parent said:

“Thank you for organising today’s talk by Andy Briggs. I thought his enthusiasm was infectious and I expect and hope the children will go away with a little more inspiration to both read and write. I certainly enjoyed hearing him speak and will be buying his books for my two boys who would have loved to hear his stories.”

Alongside the main event, Mr Briggs also had time to be interviewed by a group of Year 9 students who were involved with the BBC School Report.

Mrs Marshall, Longcroft’s Senior Librarian, said:

“The whole project was incredibly successful, with every student in Year 7 and 8 taking part, alongside many parents. Authors regularly visit Longcroft to inspire students and each one does so in their own unique and creative way.

Andy Briggs was a sure fire hit with everyone and we’d like to thank him for coming in and making the day so memorable. I’ve already had to order more copies of his books for our library, as they have been flying off our shelves!”