Homecoming to inspire the young

On 17 April 2026, I returned to Chiltern House Pre-School as a Guest Author during Book Week, bringing Miles in the Park to life across multiple read-aloud sessions for students aged 4 to 6. It was a homecoming of sorts, as Chiltern House was where my own story began, long before the writing, the research, and the published pages. What began as my own story about finding the courage to speak up had come full circle, back to the very place where it all started.

The questions the children asked were often the most honest ones, and that is exactly why stories like this one matter. A room full of young readers has a way of reminding you why you wrote the book in the first place. Fifteen years on, I stood where I once sat. The quiet student had become the author at the front of the room.