AN award-winning author inspired students to get into writing with a lively talk.

Ali Sparkes, who has written more than 30 novels including the Shape Shifter adventure series and Frozen In Time which won the Blue Peter Children’s Book Award in 2010, spent time with Year Seven students from Harwich and Dovercourt High School and pupils from local primary schools on Friday.

Before becoming an author Ali had numerous jobs including as a newspaper reporter and a comedy script writer before eventually settling down and she encouraged students to persevere with their writing even if they suffer setbacks on the way.

Library manager Andrew Dace said: “Ali enthused our pupils to read more books and there was a real buzz amongst the children after they had participated in her visit."