David Almond, best-selling author of the award winning novel Skellig and the extraordinary prequel My Name is Mina, is poised to bring literature to life for children all across the country when he appears in a free live internet broadcast on Thursday 29 September 2011 at 11am.

The nationwide event is part of the Meet our Authors programme, run by Scottish Book Trust, Scotland’s leading agency for the promotion of literature, reading and writing and sponsored by Scottish Friendly Assurance, one of Scotland’s leading providers of tax-free family savings and investment solutions.

Meet our Authors includes an exclusive series of authors’ events streamed live over the internet to provide young people, parents and teachers with the chance to get up close and personal with some of the world’s leading children’s writers. The programme is the first of its kind in the UK. Anyone can watch by visiting: www.scottishbooktrust.com/authors-live-with-david-almond

On 29 September at 11am David will reveal some of his most insightful tips on unlocking the potential of our imaginations on paper, including how his playful and messy approach to capturing great ideas has sustained his creative output during the writing of his 14 published books. He will talk intimately about the writing process behind his latest books The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean and The Savage. The masterclass will be broadcast over the internet to tens of thousands of viewers around the country. These stories are suitable for young people aged 10+ and have a readership ranging from teens to adults, they capture powerful emotional themes and are accessible to a broad range of readers.

David Almond will be the 9th children’s author to take part in the Meet our Authors project which began in 2010. To date more than 380,000 children across the UK have taken part in the webcasts.

Jasmine Fassl, of the Scottish Book Trust, commented: “Scottish Book Trust is thrilled that David Almond will be taking part in Meet our Authors. The great thing about an event like this is that any school pupil can watch – it doesn’t matter if they live in a very remote place, or if their school can’t afford transport to an event – it is about breaking down traditional barriers and giving everyone the opportunity to take part.”

Calum Bennie, marketing manager of Scottish Friendly, sponsor of ‘Meet our Authors’, said: “David Almond’s participation in the Meet our Authors programme continues the momentum of this initiative in style, we hope that young people all around the county will watch the broadcast and feel inspired by the advice and enthusiasm of such a distinguished author. Scottish Friendly is proud to continue to invest in the future of our children’s creativity.”

Source: Scottish Book Trust