Children’s author Cressida Cowell inspired the minds of hundreds of primary school pupils yesterday.

The author and illustrator of the How To Train Your Dragon books spoke to around 300 students from across Suffolk who gathered at the Ipswich High School for Girls.

Year Five and Six pupils from St John’s Primary School in Ipswich and Kingsfleet Primary School in Felixstowe were among those invited to the talk.

Wendy Offord, learning resources centre manager at Ipswich High School for Girls, said: “It was absolutely brilliant. Cressida spoke about how she became an author and how the fairly uninhabited island in Scotland in which she grew up influenced her thoughts about dragons and Vikings.

“She spoke about what was inspirational for her and gave the children some ideas, like tips on how to be more brave and creative themselves when writing stories by drawing maps of the scenery of their stories to help get their creative juices going and help them get into writing without worrying about grammar and spelling – just getting the idea on paper.

“The children were very inspired and I’m sure a lot of them will go home and read something perhaps they wouldn’t have done beforehand.

“Reading and writing plays a massive part in children’s school life and hopefully the event will play a part in inspiring and exciting children about literature.”

Students from Holbrook Academy, Heath Primary School in Kesgrave and Grundisburgh Primary School also attended the event, which included a question and answer session and a chance for children to buy signed copies of the final instalment of the 12-part series; How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury.

Eileen Fisher, head of junior school at Ipswich High School for Girls, added: “It was a really exciting event which joined many local primary schools to listen to such a fascinating and enthusiastic author.

“Boys and girls left inspired and eager to read their new signed books.”