Avid readers at a secondary school had the chance to quiz best-selling children’s author Robert Muchamore when he returned to his former school.

Pupils aged between 11 and 13 at all-boys William Ellis school in Highgate Road, Dartmouth Park, joined the author of the popular CHERUB series last week for a talk on how he was inspired to write the adventures of some of his best-loved characters.

The lively discussion was chaired by The Guardian’s children’s books editor and William Ellis governor Julia Eccleshare MBE.

Year 7 pupil George Wallis said: “It was fun because he spoke as if you could achieve anything. No matter how many mistakes he made he never gave up.”