On Wednesday 27 August, 9PRH were fortunate to hear from author Holly Christina, who visited as part of the WORD Festival.

She introduced her climate fiction trilogy, The Harp and the Lyre, and spoke to students about the writing process. Her books were particularly engaging, not only because of their focus on the emerging genre of climate fiction, but also because they incorporated QR codes on certain pages, allowing readers to listen to her original music while they read.

During her visit, Holly performed songs she had written to reflect specific characters and key turning points in her novels. Several budding writers in the class asked thoughtful questions about how she became interested in climate fantasy, how she planned her novels and developed her fictional world, and the discipline required to complete such a project.

Overall, it was an exciting opportunity for students—many of whom were meeting a novelist in person for the first time.