Schoolgirls in St Albans have had a visit from an award-winning author who was in town to give a lively talk about her road to success.

Children’s and young adult fiction writer Tanya Landman met with Year 9 Students at St Albans Girls School to share her inspiring and amusing experiences, and used her years of writing and performing with the Storybox theatre to act out some tales too.

Pupil Porsha Sears said: “I was intrigued to find out the inspiration behind her stories and I enjoyed hearing about her failures as well as her successes in life.”

After finishing her English degree, Tanya worked in an arts centre, a book shop and a zoo before beginning her writing career in 2005 after the idea for her first book, Waking Merlin, popped into her head – so she had plenty to keep the students entertained.

The writer, who penned last year’s Carnegie medal winning novel, Buffalo Soldier, has more than 30 titles under her belt and lives in North Devon with her partner Rod, their two sons, Issac and Jack and their Siamese cat Edgar.