Celebrated Author Janis Mackay is Sciennes’ Patron Of Reading!

We are absolutely delighted that Scottish Author Janis Mackay has recently become Sciennes’ Patron of Reading.

What is a Patron of Reading?

A Patron of Reading is a school’s special, designated children’s author with whom the school forms a personal attachment. The author might be a writer of fiction, a writer of non-fiction, a poet, a storyteller, a graphic novelist or an illustrator. They will work with the school for a period of approximately three years to raise the profile of reading for pleasure with pupils, parents and staff.

Ms Bethan Owen’s P5 pupils were so utterly spellbound by the story and characters in Janis’ award winning book “The Accidental Time Traveller” that she arranged a visit to the National Library of Scotland. There they had fantastic support from NLS staff to examine the diaries and letters of a little girl called Marjorie Fleming, who lived in Fife and Edinburgh around 1820, and on whom one of the central characters in the book is based. Following discussion about the Patron of Reading Scheme with Liz Gray (City of Edinburgh Senior QIO for Literacy and Languages) and given the truly inspiring NLS experience and the fact that Janis is a local author, Ms Owen decided to contact Janis directly to ask her to consider becoming our Patron of Reading. We are all thrilled that she has agreed to link with us and has responded so enthusiastically. We look forward to welcoming Janis to P5A next week and to speak at both P1-3 and P4-7 Assemblies on Friday about her books “The Wee Seal“, “The Selkie Girl” and “The Reluctant Time Traveller.“

Tweet from Janis:
Calling creative kids – want to write? today? creative writing workshop @ScotStoryCentre with author Janis Mackay 2 – 4pm. for age 8 – 15
Janis is also performing at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Thursday 30th April in a City of Literature Tradfest performance called ‘Sassie Lassies’ – stories of women and girls with a Canadian storyteller and a musician at 7.30pm
Janis Mackay (2nd from left) receiving Scottish Children’s Book Award in 2013