Young people should believe that their dreams can come true!

This was the inspirational statement made to Year 9 students from Monmouth School for Girls, Monmouth School for Boys and Monmouth Comprehensive School by award-winning teen author Hayley Long, during the Monmouth Literary Festival.

Hayley spoke to over 300 students at The Savoy Theatre about her life and experiences as a writer. Her books are written for teenagers and are based on everyday events that young people can relate to. During the talk, she also drew on her own experiences to show pupils how it is possible to overcome personal obstacles.

Reading extracts from her books, the author – who has recently won the prestigious Welsh Tir na n-Og Children’s Literature Award – said that when she was younger, she would never have believed she could become an author. Hayley then urged young people to believe their dreams could come true.

In fact, after the event she was approached by a student who confided that he too was very shy, and that Hayley’s talk had given him ‘confidence for the future’.

The Monmouth Literary Festival is a unique collaboration between Monmouth School for Girls, Monmouth Comprehensive School and Monmouth School for Boys. The week-long festival – planned by the students – aims to share the talents and diversity of the young people within our community, to enhance their learning outcomes and to encourage a love of reading and literature.