An award-winning author, whose novels have been adapted for stage, visited schoolchildren today. 

S. F. Said spoke to pupils at Churchfields Junior School in South Woodford, about his career as a speech writer and how he came to write his first adventure novel, Varjak Paw, in 2003. 

Year 5 pupils were given a master-class in storytelling before Mr Said signed copies of his three published novels, including the sequel to Varjak Paw - The Outlaw Varjak Paw, released in 2005 and his 2013 novel, the Phoenix.  

The Beirut-born author first two novels were the winning recipients of Nestle Smarties Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book of the Year. 

The story of Varjak Paw, a Mesopotamian Blue cat who leaves his sheltered upbringing to explore the city and overcomes obstacles using secret cat martial arts, has been turned into a play and an opera.