St Damien’s in Walkinstown today – lovely teachers, very polite and nice head teacher, great kids. I talked about my life, how I couldn’t read until I was 9, how my parents never gave up on me, reading to me all the time.

How I was Cinderella in the school play and how I nearly ran off the stage when I stumbled over my first solo. But then I remembered my grampa’s words – Fail. Try again. Fail again. Fail harder. Fail better. So I started again and the next solo after that didn’t seem as difficult.

I told them how my first book, Kids Can Cook was rejected many, many times before it was published. And how even now, as a published writer, ideas for books or short stories or articles are sometimes turned down. Such is the life of a writer.

I enjoyed it just as much as the boys and girls did – the sign of a good school visit.

Sarah X