For many girls at FHS the arrival of Holly Bourne, author of The Normal Series; titled “Am I Normal Yet?”, “How Hard Can Love Be?” and “What’s A Girl Gotta Do?” was the highlight of the autumn term, with as many as 60 girls signing up to listen to her speak.

We were treated to an engaging and at times hilarious talk which addressed the stigma of mental of health, women’s rights and feminism; all of which are themes within her novels. With an audience of beaming smiles and nodding heads it was clear that the issues Holly spoke at length about resonated with the girls.

Holly took the time to share stories about her career as a writer and claimed that her best kept treasure was her teenage diary as she was able to draw upon some of the content whilst writing The Normal Series. She also shed light on the highs and lows of the publishing industry and gave us a sneak preview into her forthcoming book; which is to be launched next autumn.

Holly has asked to return to FHS in the future as she was so impressed by the girls and their passion on the topics we discussed.