Celebrating Reading for Pleasure with Frank Cottrell-Boyce
At The Farnley Academy, our mission is to promote a lifelong love of reading, ensuring that every child and young person has the opportunity to enjoy books and own one of their own. Reading for pleasure is widely recognised as the single greatest indicator of a child’s future success, and we are proud to place it at the heart of our school culture.
With this in mind, we were delighted to welcome our Year 7 students, alongside pupils from our feeder primary schools, to a special author event with acclaimed writer and Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, on Thursday 26 February 2026.
Frank Cottrell-Boyce follows a distinguished line of authors and poets in holding the role of Children’s Laureate from 2024–2026. He has written twelve children’s books, including the official sequels to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and has also enjoyed a hugely successful career as a screenwriter. His television work includes Brookside, Coronation Street, and Doctor Who, while his film credits include Millions (directed by Danny Boyle), Goodbye Christopher Robin, 24 Hour Party People and A Cock and Bull Story. He was also a writer for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The position of Children’s Laureate is awarded every two years to celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s literature. Frank’s debut novel, Millions, won the prestigious Carnegie Medal, and he has since been shortlisted for numerous other awards. His latest book, The Blockbusters, is a hilarious and fast-paced middle-grade adventure offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of blockbuster movie-making. The story follows Rafa, a boy who stumbles upon a film set and swaps places with a famous actor, launching a high-energy adventure filled with Hollywood glamour, mixed-up phones and a missing brother.
During the event, Frank captivated students with warm, humorous stories from his life and career, inspiring them with his passion for storytelling and reading. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, meet Frank in person, have their photographs taken, and receive a signed copy of his book.
It was a fantastic and memorable event for everyone involved. Our sincere thanks go to the primary schools who attended and to Mrs Bate for organising such an inspiring celebration of reading.
