Students at four Devon schools welcomed award-winning author Manjeet Mann thanks to Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival. The Costa award-winning author visited St Peter’s and West Exe Schools in Exeter, Exmouth Community College and Colyton Grammar as part of the festival’s outreach work, inspiring students with her books Run, Rebel and The Crossing.

The series explores exclusion and refugees’ stories and the students worked in small workshops around the themes of the books.

Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival’s charitable aims are to encourage young people to develop a lifelong love of reading. It does this through book donations and taking authors into local schools.

David Marston, who is a member of the festival’s education and outreach team, said: “It was wonderful to be able to take Manjeet into the schools and to see how she inspired the students, through telling her personal story and through the exploration of the themes in her books.”

Lisa Hatchard, librarian at Exmouth Community College, said: “Exmouth Community College is very fortunate to have the link with Budleigh Literature Festival, this has had a positive impact on our students and their enthusiasm for reading. Whether it was David Baddiel or Emma Carroll giving an author talk to our entire Year 7 (400+) or Manjeet Mann running workshops with selected Year 8-10 students in the library. Without the Literature Festivals support we would not be able to give our students such a variety of authors and experiences.”

Lyndsay Kennett, English KS3 co-ordinator at St Peter’s High School, Exeter, said: “Thank you so much for organising the visit. I have had so much amazing feedback from staff and students about how brilliant the session was, so we are all very grateful.”

Charlotte Bean, librarian at Colyton Grammar School, said: “Thank you very much for organising the visit. It was a fantastic opportunity for the students and lots of them have said how much they enjoyed it.”

Lesley Salter, librarian at West Exe School, Exeter, said: “We were so inspired by Manjeet’s work and personal story yesterday. I have had students visiting the library afterwards who are keen to read Run Rebel and The Crossing and saying how much they enjoyed her visit. Thanks once again for this enriching experience for our students.”

Next year’s Budleigh Literary Festival Spring Weekend takes place on March 1 and 2 and the main festival from September 18-22. Tickets initially go on sale to Festival Friends, to sign up as a friend, or find out more, visit www.budlitfest.org.uk