Cat Clarke, the author of teen best sellers Entangled and Torn, premiered her latest novel A Kiss in the Dark at Sydenham High School GDST yesterday.

The popular young adult fiction writer led a creative writing workshop for aspiring writers from years 10 and 11 and also answered questions from them and their counterparts in year 9.  The students were able to ask Cat about her latest novel, which is not officially published until next month.

Questions included how she started writing, her attitude to her characters, her own favourite authors (Laurie Halse Anderson, Suzanne Collins and John Green) and how she deals with sensitive young adult issues.  She explained that she always writes as realistically as she can – because it can be comforting to read about something that you’re going through yourself – and would never sensationalise as she feels a real responsibility as writer for young adults.

The visit ended with book signings, including the very first copies of A Kiss in the Dark, thanks to publishers Quercus and independent local bookseller Pea Green Boat Books (www.peagreenboatbooks.co.uk).

A lot of happy and inspired students left for afternoon lessons with the beginnings of their own stories already in their heads.  Who knows, one of them might turn out to be the next Cat Clarke!