An acclaimed author visited to schools in the Great Yarmouth borough to help promote literacy among pupils.

Eastern Daily Press: Author Anthony McGowan visits Ormiston Venture Academy. Picture: neacoAuthor Anthony McGowan visits Ormiston Venture Academy. Picture: neaco (Image: neaco)

Anthony McGowan, who writes novels for both adults and children, visited Cliff Park and Ormiston Venture Academies as he launched an initiative called Undercover Readers.

The scheme aims to ignite a passion for literature in youngsters and encourage them to express themselves through creative writing.

The project is organised by Take Your Place, a programme set out by the Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach, aiming to create more opportunities for pupils to go onto higher education.

Mr McGowan told pupils: 'To become a good writer, first you need to be a reader. The more you read, the better your writing will become.'

Ian McInally, Ormiston Venture Academy assistant principal, said: 'This is such an imporant opportunity for these students - the joy and understanding of language was really emphasised by Mr McGowan.'