Julian spoke about how he researched the settings of his books, visiting Japan several times and even venturing into the Fukushima Exclusion Zone. He shared the experiences of some of the people he met there who had survived the 2011 tsunami, and explored the elements of Japanese culture and myth that run through his work.

After signing books for students and staff, Julian ran two workshops on creating the opening scene of a ghost story. The students thought up eerie settings and spooky characters to develop into their own short stories and took part in a question and answer session. Julian even found time to visit the Library and meet some members of the Library Goblins Reading Group. It was an engaging and informative day that we hope left Year 8 feeling inspired.