Author Caroline Boxall inspired pupils into creative writing on a visit to Northwood College for Girls.

The mum-of-five is a self-published author who has penned three books and a short story and is now looking for children to write their own stories to be included in a new paperback.

Caroline gave talks to Years 5 to 8 about writing and inventing characters.

She also told them about a competition she is running to write a story of 500 words maximum with 25 winning entries to be published in a paperback book.

The competition is open to children aged eight to 13 for stories with the theme of ‘hope’. Winning entries are being revealed on June 1.

The school held a book sale at break time in its Centenary library where she signed copies of her three novels, The Runaway Children of Chennai, The Secret Children of Mumbai and It’s Always Raining in Moscow and I Forgot my Umbrella.