Years 3 & Year 4 enjoyed a fantastic workshop this week with award‑winning children’s author, Stephen Davies. He transported the children into the world of the Ancient Egyptians while introducing his novel The Egyptian Sleepover. Stephen explained how real experiences—such as travelling and visiting museums—inspire great story ideas.
The children were full of enthusiasm, asking thoughtful questions and sharing imaginative ideas. Stephen showed them how building a character through simple details like name, appearance and personality helps a story take shape. With his guidance, they planned their own characters and left brimming with inspiration.
Stephen also shared how his trips to Cairo and the British Museum sparked the idea for his book, especially after seeing a competition inviting children to sleep over at the museum. To finish, the children imagined their own sleepover in the museum’s Ancient Egyptian galleries, learning about character development, plot building and the writing principle “show me, don’t tell me.”
