Trip to the British Library

On Wednesday 23 April, 2025, a group of thirty Year 9 students left Ruislip Gardens to venture into Central London for a visit to the British Library. The purpose of the trip was for students to hone their creative writing skills at the Write Here workshop run by the library.

The workshop began with an exploration of metaphors, similes and imagery focusing on the book, moving from the obvious to the more unusual, and encouraging students to conceive of the topic in new ways.

After this, they went on a treasure hunt of the library to gather ideas and inspiration for their own piece of creative writing about the library. The treasure hunt was led by a member of staff who guided the students on how to approach their journey round the library by evoking senses - inviting them to pay close attention to sounds and small details they could observe - and also prompting the exploration of extended metaphors to use in their writing.

After this, students went back to the workshop rooms to write up their pieces. One of the students who attended commented: “I liked the story writing part and exploring the treasure gallery; it was a really cool trip.”

Mrs Sheikh, who accompanied the students to the British Library, said: “I loved hearing the extended metaphors that students came up with for conceiving of the library and books to do with ships, galaxies, portals and treasure chests. All demonstrate the limitless scope of literature to fire our imagination and provide sustenance as we journey through our lives. We were extremely proud of their excellent behaviour and literary flair.”