Friday 3rd November 2017 - Moulsham High School Library were thrilled to welcome Hayley Barker to meet with Year 9 students this week to talk about the experiences which have inspired her writing and her creative processes. 

Hayley is an alumnus of Moulsham High School and has until recently taught English in a secondary school in Essex. She is a huge Young Adult (YA) fiction reader and fan – particularly loving books with a feminist stance. YA characters do not have to worry about monotony and the daily grind of life. For them, it’s all about the big issues: about finding oneself, about intense relationships, about exciting adventures. For Hayley, this is what makes YA novels the most escapist reading, and writing, of all.

Hayley’s debut novel ‘Show Stopper’ is described as, ‘1984 meets The Hunger Games’ and is set in a near-future England where the poorest people in the land are forced to sell their children to a travelling circus - to perform at the mercy of hungry lions, sabotaged high wires and a demonic ringmaster. The ruling class visit the circus as an escape from their structured, high-achieving lives - pure entertainment with a bloodthirsty edge. Ben, the teenage son of a draconian government minister, visits the circus for the first time and falls instantly in love with Hoshiko, a young performer. They come from harshly different worlds - but must join together to escape the circus and put an end to its brutal sport.

During her visit, Hayley signed copies of her book for students at Moulsham High

Miss Adams at Moulsham High School said “I was extremely proud of our Year 9 students during the visit from alumnus and author, Hayley Barker. As a Year Group their behaviour was impeccable, and the questions asked during the visit were both insightful and respectful”.