A Master of Horror Comes to Aquinas
This year we were absolutely ecstatic to secure a visit from the much-sought-after author Darren Shan. Horror readers will know he is the bestselling writer of The Saga Of Darren Shan and The Demonata Series. His books have been translated into twenty languages in twenty-eight different countries and have sold over 9,000,000 copies worldwide.
He spoke to an excited audience of two hundred pupils, including thirty special guests from our neighbouring school, Wellington College. He started off by telling us how and why he became a writer, then chose four pupils from the audience to take part in a role play from Cirque du Freak (The first book in The Saga of Darren Shan). Everyone was completely engrossed as, under his direction, Mr Tall (Conor Dornan) set the scene and Wolf Man (Aidan Malone ) gave an academy award-worthy performance as he bit the arm off the Screaming Lady (Jenny Wallace). Her shrieks must have been heard at the other side of Belfast !!! The role-play concluded with the Angry Husband (Jonathan James from Wellington College) being firmly rebuked by Mr Tall when he complained about his poor wife’s severed arm!
Darren Shan followed this with a chilling excerpt from Lord Loss (the first book in The Demonata Series), and then answered questions prepared earlier from some of his most avid fans which were put to him by Maeve Hillan and Peter Stewart. Afterwards, he spent a great deal of time chatting to pupils and signing their books as well as supplying various, ‘monster poses ‘ for their souvenir photographs. Everyone was very impressed with his genuine interest in all his fans and we all took away with us great memories (and a few strange photographs).
What better way to spend a rainy Thursday morning ?!
Mrs E Cullen (School Librarian )
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