Farmor’s School sixth-former and aspiring journalist Isla Beadnell, 16, has written this article for the Standard about how interviewing a famous Bafta-nominated writer gave her a much-needed confidence boost

WHEN I interviewed the multi-talented writer Emma Reeves last year, it helped me regain much of the confidence I lost going into my teenage years.

In June of last year, I volunteered to interview the Bafta nominated Emma Reeves during her highly anticipated appearance at Fairford Bookfest. 

This came after one of the festival’s organisers, Chris Roberts, got in touch with my school to ask for a suitable student, to interview Emma Reeves, known for working on the hit TV series Hetty Feather, based on the novel by Jaqueline Wilson, and many other works including the TV adaptation of The Worst Witch and various stage adaptations one being that of Little Women. 

Being in year 10 and post-Covid at the time, I had lost a considerable amount of confidence in myself and my abilities as an aspiring journalist. 

This was partly due to the pressure and uncertainty that many understand comes with being a teenager but also due to the two years of school I lost during the pandemic, which lead to many of us being behind in both a social and educational sense.

Interviewing Emma Reeves, despite my initial nerves, was an incredibly eye-opening experience, and an opportunity for which I am forever grateful. 

The self-gratification it provided me with and the knowledge of the various writing industries that I gained, will certainly stay with me for a long time. 

I urge other teenagers to get involved in local events and seize any opportunities to engage with professionals in the industries they are interested in, but also to get in front of a crowd! 

I can say from first hand experience, that it will do the world of good for your confidence and self-esteem.

Isla plans too study history, English literature and language, media, EPQ and French at Farmor’s School in September