b'World Book Day 2025Show me a familybelow) took questions on his writing career from students in Years 9 and of readers, and I will10 in Big School; meanwhile Year 12 show you the peoplestudents were meeting with the King HGS welcomesEdward VI Foundation archivist as Abir Mukherjeethey investigated some aspects of who move the worldschool history. A dramatic, colourful to school Napoleon Bonaparte and exciting programme of events was matched only by the literary costumes HGS was thrilled to welcome best-sellingWorld Book Day on 5th March 2025which adorned members of staff for author Abir Mukherjee to school oncaught the school imagination this yearthe day, together with a spectacular Monday 3rd March as part of our workas students across the year groupsdisplay of World Book Day classroom to celebrate World Book Day. engaged in an array of activities whichdoors, with every school corridor encouraged them to take up andablaze with colour and creativity. A Abir has sold more than 400,000read. Poet Kurly led poetry workshopsmemorable day was had by all.books worldwide and is known for hiswith Year 7, whilst some students in bestselling Wyndham and BannerjeeYear 8 travelled to Oxford series, as well as Hunted, which isto tour the world-famous currently Waterstones thriller of theBodleian Library and month. Abir spoke movingly duringview their English Civil packed assemblies for Year 9 and 10War collections. Author students of his experiences in ScotlandAbir Mukherjee (see in the 1980s and his search for his identity growing up between the Indian culture of his family and the British culture of his schooling. His thought-provoking talk saw our HGS students asking insightful questions. Later on, Abir delivered a workshop to our Year 11 students where he encouraged and guided them in their writing with some excellent advice!We are immensely grateful to Abir for giving up his time to come and work with our HGS students, and to our boys for getting involved in the day and making him feel so welcome in our school community.Mrs MannA winningprompt best-seller stories like the crimejob, when you take all opportunities thrown at thriller A Rising Man. Altogether, Mukherjeeyou to fulfil your dreams and if you approach mindset expanded on the vast assortment ofevery situation with a winning mindset, you knowledge and understanding of humanityWILL be successful.and our cultures we have, our history. After this, we curiously asked him several On Monday 3rd March, Years 9, 10 andHe later focused on his life story, whichquestions, allowing us to delve into the a few other students had the pleasureinterested me as he told us he worked incaptivating career of being an author. He of having a talk with Abir Mukherjee, thefinance for 20 years before pursuing hishappily answered all our questions, ultimately renowned author best known for his crimedream of becoming an author. Althoughencouraging us to find our way in the novels. He wrote the Wyndham and Banerjeehe was comfortable, earning a good wagefuture, requiring us to learn from the past series set in the British Raj era in India. and didnt have much to lose, his sparkto strive for innovation. Whether that will First, for context, he taught us about thewasnt present. Hence, he strived for thebe through writing best-seller books, being significance of the British Raj and how historytedious task of making his first book. Nighta savvy software specialist or pursing any can influence the exhilarating narrative ofafter night, draft after draft, Mukherjee spentother career of our dreams, Abir Mukherjee crime and thriller. The ideas of finding yourhours crafting his story and as a result heshowed us that this is possible; you only narrative within the past can help you shapewon the Telegraphs Harvill Secker Crimeneed to take those first steps.your future, your identity and culture yourWriting Competition. Ultimately, he taught usDaniel Alloh, Year 11 interests. In Mukherjees case, the colonialthat despite where we are in life, what ageDavid Akanihu, Year 11 history of Britain, specifically in India, helpedwe are, and how comfortable we are in a day 54'