National Year of Reading 2026
Earlier this week, pupils from Years 7-9 assembled in the library to participate in an online author event with renowned Dutch artist, graphic novelist and animator – Aimée de Jongh. During the interactive livestream, Aimée de Jongh explored her work and inspirations, her unique artistic style, and revealed the process of creating a graphic novel – from initial conception to publication. Pupils immediately took inspiration from the artist, putting Aimée’s advice straight into practice by applying her techniques to their own drawings. The session concluded with a live Q&A, with pupils submitting their questions via the live chat.
Her latest work, a graphic novel adaptation of William Golding’s classic ‘Lord of the Flies’, has already received universal acclaim, having already won the UK 2025 Excelsior Award for best graphic novel. The book has also received a nomination for this years’ prestigious Carnegie Medal award for Writing and Illustration, joining the list of contemporary fiction titles currently being read by members of our JTHS-Library Book Club.
This event is part of our ongoing celebrations for the 2026 National Year of Reading. Pupils can look out for further upcoming events advertised in the library and on our extra-curricular activity platform, Evolve.
NEXT EVENT: Virtual Author Visit with Katerine Rundell for Y7-9 [Thursday 7th May 2026] – see the library staff for further details and bookings.
