International Day Of Education

Education: The Write Time 

A catch up with writer Andrew Moodie on International Education Day  

Today is International Education Day, a day recognised by the United Nations in celebration of the role of education in the promotion of peace and development across the world.   

Education is a basic human right and an essential building block for every person to reach their full potential, and for societies and economies to grow and flourish. Despite this, many people experience challenges accessing appropriate education and support.  

As a great believer in lifelong learning, I went back to university with my newborn baby balanced on my knee and completed a Masters in Creative Writing shortly before my fortieth birthday. It was one of the best decisions of my life and changed how I valued myself and helped me find something I love to do. 

I was excited to meet Andrew, a person we work for, when I joined C-Change a year ago as we shared a passion for literature and I knew he was a keen writer. At Andrew’s planning day, he sets some goals around developing his writing and joining a writers’ group, perhaps looking at embarking on a creative writing qualification himself.  

This International Education Day, I caught up with Andrew to find out how the past year has been for him, and what’s next in terms of his life with writing. 

Andrew – it’s been a busy year for you. Tell us about some of the things you’ve been up to? 

I’ve started attending Strathkelvin Writers’ Group. I’ve tried a few writers’ groups in the past but Strathkelvin is one that I’ve been to the most so far. I didn’t expect to be in the same group as Theresa Breslin who wrote Divided City, which my school library housed several copies of, as well as Allan Gaw who wrote The Silent House Of Sleep that won The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize last year. 

I’ve been sharing my work with others, not that I think I had too much of a problem with it before, but this is something that I’d say I’ve got better at since joining Strathkelvin Writers. 

I’ve also been entering competitions, although I’ve been doing that on and off for a few years now. I do submit things and hope for the best even if I’ve never won. 

I have signed up to the Open University to do a course in Creative Writing which by all accounts should be starting soon. 

I had my work published on Scottish Book Trust website this year. Like the competitions, I didn’t actually win this one but instead of being published in a short book that went out on Scottish Book week, the writing I did on the theme of ‘Hope’ instead has indeed been archived on the website of the Scottish Book Trust. 

What made you sign up for the degree course and are you looking forward to it? 

I’d done some less formal writing courses before, so I’d like to think the interest was always there; of course, the OU is much more formal than what came before and the work is quite out of my comfort zone, which I think is worth appreciating as I move forward with it. 

What’s it like to be in a writers’ group?-  

I’ve been to two others that didn’t work for me and now I found one in Strathkelvin that does work. I do enjoy it when anything I’ve written is read out whether it be something I’ve brought with me or written up in a few minutes; however I rarely get the chance to hear much in the way of comments, which is something I’m sure I’d like. If anyone had any questions about what I’d written, I hope I’d be happy to answer them. 

What’s the big dream? Is it still to see your book in Waterstones? Appear or the stage at Bloody Scotland?–  

Yes it is! I hope to have it at least one book published and stocked in Waterstones by the time I’m thirty years old. As for the stage of Bloody Scotland, I’m sure it’s an appealing idea but I’ve seen myself writing middle grade thrillers (like Alex Rider but without the gadgets) which is a genre Bloody Scotland don’t cater to. Do I think I could take to a stage one day to discuss a book I’ve written? I would hope so but I don’t think I’m there just yet. 

What book would you recommend everyone reads?  

This is a tough one, I know every reader’s got their own tastes but if had to I’m going to go with the following four: Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (to see how Bond first came into the world, don’t worry if you’ve seen the film I still think it’s worth reading), Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz (Despite what I said I do admire this book for finding a way to put a young character in these dangerous of unrealistic situations). I know there’s also Robert Muchmore’s CHERUB series but for me Rider is the better book series and easier to like the protagonist. The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (The main character is by no means a hero but his motives are understandable and above all else he’s compelling to read about, which if I’m not wrong the key trait a main protagonist must have). And lastly I recommended Red Dragon by Thomas Harris (Yes it lives in the shadow of a much more popular sequel, but it’s got a villain who’s got some depth to him and like Ripley I read it when I was seventeen and has likely played a part in how I feel about the psychological thriller genre). 

It is International Education Day – what piece of advice would you have for teachers or those at the start of a new education journey?–  

I’m not sure what advice I’d give to a new teacher but what I would say, especially to those teachers in the senior half of high school is that if you catch one of your pupils reading an Agatha Christie book or any other classic novel, give them a little comment on their good taste, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. 

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Thank you, Andrew. Remember this name – you’ll be seeing it on the spine of a book on the  shelves at Waterstones one day very soon.  

Have a listen below: