Josh Silver Author Visit
On Monday 18th March, Josh Silver visited OSFC to speak to students about his debut fiction novel ‘HappyHead’. Year 10 students from The Hathershaw College joined our Year 12 and Year 13 students and visiting librarians to hear about his journey into writing and how he came to write about his chosen topics.
During the first session Josh discussed his publications in more depth looking closely into his debut novel ‘HappyHead’ (optioned for a film by Taron Edgerton) and its upcoming sequel ‘DeadHappy’. He talked about his journey to becoming an author and why retraining as a mental health nurse during the pandemic was essential in his ability to ‘get angry’ and write ‘HappyHead’. Josh also discussed the impact of mental health on the LGBT+ community. A reading of a section of ‘DeadHappy’ was a surprise addition and the session ended with a Q&A. All students who attended were engaged, enthusiastic and a credit to themselves throughout.
Abida Begum, Health and Social Care Student;
Josh was very open about everything and he seemed so passionate about his work which was very inspirational and motivating!
Carla Cordock, Health and Social Care Tutor;
This was a highly engaging session which was delivered in an enthusiastic and open way. The session encouraged you to think about the mental health system from different perspectives and to understand the wider impact society has on individuals with mental health conditions
Phillipa Gell, English Tutor;
The students enjoyed the session, Josh communicated very well with his audience and it was refreshing to hear from an author for whom school was a struggle
The second session was a more intimate crowd of a Year 12 English Language/Literature class and members of The Know Book Club Xtra. Josh delivered his previous talk and added some additional workshop elements detailing the importance of focusing on emotions in writing, worldbuilding, voice and obstacles.
Hanah Katun, Year 12 Student & member of The Know Book Club;
The event was interesting and the author’s talk was engaging and interactive. The author used creative methods to demonstrate obstacles in story writing. Alongside the descriptions about Happy Head, learning about the author’s new upcoming book had me looking forward to reading it.
The Know Team;
We can't thank Josh enough for visiting our college and inspiring our students through his talks. Josh is a firm believer in the importance of libraries and librarians in promoting reading for pleasure and encourages everyone to utilise the skills of their college librarians.
English Language Students;
He was well funny, I bought the book as a result
I could listen to him all day
He saw a problem and wants to change it
The visit was an incredible experience and was both enjoyable and informative. We can’t wait to hopefully see Josh again in the future!
