Highly-praised author Joanna Quinn visits Wey Valley Academy

Joanna Quinn was born in London but grew up in Weymouth where she attended Wey Valley Academy. She started her career at the Dorset Echo. 

In the workshop held for year 10 and 11 students at the school, the author read from her latest novel The Whalebone Theatre.

One year 10 student said: “It was so powerful to see an ex-student of the school returning as an acclaimed author - this has inspired me to write and to be published.”

The Whalebone Theatre went straight into the bestseller lists in both the UK and USA and was a 'Read with Jenna' pick, as well as being chosen by Her Majesty Queen Camilla for her book club 'The Reading Room.'

It was shortlisted for a Best Debut Fiction at the British Book Awards, The Authors' Club Best First Novel award and The Society of Authors McKitterick Prize.

The novel was also Waterstones Book of the Month in August 2023.

Mark Chutter, Head of Performing Arts and Teaching and Learning Challenge Lead, said: “My thanks to Joanna Quinn for such an innovative workshop today with tips for our students studying for their GCSE Language examination and for inspiring them to write professionally as a future career.”

Joanna Quinn delivering workshop at Wey Valley (Image: Mark Chutter)

During the workshop, Joanna explored what an opening to a novel should look like and that sometimes your opening line is an ending and vice versa.

She then went on to consider famous opening lines from such works as Rebecca (1938) by du Maurier and The Secret Garden (1911) by Hodgson Burnett.

The Year 10 students then had to write their own effective opening line and share it with the group.

The author then continued to explore character -'remember the detail in character and why a person is acting in a certain way '.

She also revealed that she had recently been approached by a television company for The Whalebone Theatre to be possibly turned into a series.