Phil Earle: When the Sky Falls and While the Storm Rages

Phil Earle, one of the most highly regarded writers for children today, joins us to talk about his two latest novels, When the Sky Falls and While the Storm Rages. Phil shares the inspiration behind these fantastic wartime stories, and treats us to a reading from While the Storm Rages. In this broadcast, Phil also speaks on all of the different ways to be 'a reader', and how to find inspiration for your own creative writing.

Shorter clips from the event are also available at BBC Scotland Learning website(this link will open in a new window).

If you only do one thing...

We know time is tight so here is just one activity you could do with your class before or after watching the event.

Build a character from the feet up! (LIT 3-09a, LIT 3-20a) Find photographs of a wide range of footwear – either online or from magazines. Ask each pupil to choose a pair that will be the basis of a character. Ask them to consider features such as: age, name and what they wear. Give them some time to share these initial ideas with partners, or in a group. After that, ask them to go back to their character and build more features: what’s this character’s favourite food or place? What are they afraid of? What are they good at? What’s the worst or best thing that’s ever happened to them?

This idea is adapted from our Creative writing for secondary resource(this link will open in a new window). For more resources to support writing in your school, see the learning resources(this link will open in a new window) or Young Writers(this link will open in a new window) section of our website. For more writing advice directly from Phil, see his masterclass below.