WEST Dunbartonshire’s Kilpatrick School will receive a fully funded author residency awarded by Scottish Book Trust.

Kilpatrick School’s status as an additional support needs (ASN) centre puts it alongside another two schools – Hayshead Primary in Angus and St Philomena’s Primary in Glasgow – in receiving the author residencies designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing.

Author Joanne Marr will be Kilpatrick School’s resident writer across the 2020-21 school, finishing in May. The school also gets a resource grant of £500.

Louise McMahon, head teacher at Kilpatrick School, said: “We cannot wait to work with our author Joanne Marr to create a story about friendship and belonging which we hope will enable us to stay connected with each other in school and at home, even if we are physically apart.

“Our story will of course be adapted to be inclusive of all of learners in our diverse school community and will be told through both words and our senses.

“Thank you to the Scottish Book Trust for the opportunity to be involved in this exciting project.”

The residencies will also give professional writers the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project.

Now in its fifth year, the Live Literature School Residencies Programme is funded by the Walter Scott Giving Group and delivered by the Scottish Book Trust.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “It has been a difficult year for pupils, and we are pleased that we can offer these Live Literature School Residencies to bring the magic of an author visit into the classroom.

“We are grateful to the Walter Scott Giving Group and the Mohn Westlake Foundation for making these residency programmes possible.”