Pupils from Dartmouth Academy had a chance to meet three authors as part of this year’s Dartmouth Book Festival.

Children from years 1 to 6 at Dartmouth Academy, alongside pupils from Stoke Fleming Primary School and St John’s Primary School, enjoyed a day of inspiring sessions with authors Erin Allgrove, Margaret Bateson-Hill and Emma Swan, author and star of Horrible Histories.

It gave pupils the chance to meet published authors, hear stories brought to life and discover new books, helping to nurture a love of reading and storytelling.

Among the books showcased during the day were Bosun Bob, Seagull Scruff, Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain and The Cruise Ship Kid, giving pupils plenty of new stories and characters to discover.

Emma Swan, whose session was described as particularly engaging and hilarious, also left signed bookplates at the school. Pupils who bring a copy of The Cruise Ship Kid into school can have one of the special bookplates added to their book.

The event was organised as part of the Dartmouth Book Festival, with the aim of bringing the joy of books and meeting authors directly to local children. The participating schools hope the experience will leave pupils excited about reading and keen to discover more books and stories.

Paul Girardot, principal at Dartmouth Academy, said: “Days like this are a fantastic way to bring books and storytelling to life for our pupils.

“Having the opportunity to meet authors, hear directly from them about their stories and discover new books can make a real difference to a child’s enthusiasm for reading.

“It was wonderful to see the children so engaged, excited and eager to talk about the stories they had heard.

“We are very grateful to everyone involved in making this special event possible and for giving our pupils such a memorable experience and especially to Erin Allgrove for all her help organising the day.”