Open accessibilty tools
Literacy Loans

Gabrielle Kent

 

 

Gabrielle was born in Bishop Auckland, moved to Newton Aycliffe when she was five, then to Hartlepool just in time for secondary school. She moved to Middlesbrough to study at Teesside University twenty five years ago, and has lived here ever since! Gabrielle is a published author perhaps best known for her Alfie Bloom books.

Writing, storymaking or published books

I have written three books for children age 6+ in the Knights and Bikes series which is based on a wonderful videogame adventure and is soon to become an animated TV series.

Knights and Bikes
Rebel Bicycle Club
Wheels of Legend

My Alfie Bloom series is magical realism and has earned comparisons with Roald Dahl and Harry Potter. The three books are:

The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle
The Talisman Thief
The Witch of Demon Rock

I am currently working on a new series about a young girl and her treasure hunting adventures with her Mauritian Grandma, as well a Viking inspired series for slightly older readers.

Approach to writing

Sometimes an idea just pops into my head when I’m out and about exploring interesting places, castles, forests, bat caves in Kuala Lumpur, haunted woods in Ireland, or just sitting on the sofa watching tv!

If I don’t have an idea pop into my head, I write lists of What If scenarios and think about how they could be developed into a story.

Key Stages worked with

Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3

Useful links

www.Gabriellekent.com

Booking and practical information

All writers can be booked through the Education Officer with whom you have booked an object. They will help you sort out dates for a planning meeting and the practicalities of all the sessions with students. Schools taking part in Literacy Loans will need to be happy to use zoom, teams, google classrooms or another equivalent secure online platform.

The standard fee for one class to have three 40 minute sessions with our writers is £200. We may be able to help with the costs for schools with high levels of Pupil Premium funding or seeking to address specific issues with writing.

Amazing writing

Watch this film about work produced by students at Priory Woods School and Arts College in response to a Japanese tea brick.

Take a look at these fantastic stories produced by students at Green Lane Primary in response to a Japanese tea brick.