The head of one of the UK’s leading independent publishing houses has visited The Latimer Arts College in Kettering to speak to students about his life and business experiences.

Stephen Page is CEO of Faber and Faber, which has published some of the best-known literature in the English language, including William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, and boasts world-famous poet T. S. Eliot amongst its past editors. He commented:

“Books, film, television and computer graphics are all part of the creative sector and I often hear people in government being dismissive of this, suggesting it’s all a bit amateur and fun.

“This couldn’t be further from the truth. The creative sector contributes £90 billion of the UK’s gross domestic product. It is globally famous and employs about two million people.

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“Character is one of the first things we notice in a really fresh book. For example in Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling created over 139 distinct characters. The way you write is also clearly important. Getting people to turn the page using a cliffhanger and books that allow the narrative to roll are vital elements which we help identify.”

Speaking following the event Year 8 Latimer student, Wiktoria Gawlak, said: “I love everything about reading and literature. Stephen was so enthusiastic and encouraging. It was really interesting to hear about his career and I enjoyed being able to ask him questions about his work.”

Jyoti Pankhania, Assistant Principal at The Latimer Arts College, added: “Presentations like Stephen Page’s genuinely enrich the curriculum for our students. In particular he echoed the ethos of The Latimer Arts College – effort, hard work and a positive ‘can do’ attitude are the principles of success.”

The talk was arranged through the charity ‘Speakers for Schools,’ and also acted as part of The Latimer Arts College’s ongoing ‘Raising Aspirations’ programme, an initiative designed to help students engage with leading industry professionals and businesses.