10 Things You Might Not Know About David Almond

Six enthusiastic members of Festival sponsors’ BGS Juniors Year 6 Book Committee were lucky enough to get their hands on tickets for the fabulous Robert Muchamore and Sophie McKenzie event at this year’s Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival.

Even better, thanks to Bristol Grammar School’s long-standing connection with the Festival, they were given the opportunity to interview this year’s Guest Artistic Director, author David Almond, before the event. Their conversation covered a huge range of topics, from his childhood to his inspiration and they found out ten things about David Almond that not everybody knows…

1. Most of all he wanted to play football for Newcastle United (he may still get his chance if their season doesn’t improve!)
2. He believes children are more important than politicians because they are the future.
3. He prefers writing for children to adults.
4. He was the first boy at his school to do cookery (because he didn’t want to do metalwork).
5. His favourite artist is Picasso.
6. He is working on an opera about football.
7. He used to write in his shed but it got too cold, so he now writes in Newcastle Library.
8. The house featured in Skellig was the house he was brought up in.
9. Of all his books, he would most like The Fire Eaters to be turned into a movie.
10. He doesn’t plan his books, he just starts writing.

You can read a transcript of the complete conversation with David Almond on the Bristol Grammar School website.