Friday 3 September 2010

Marcus Sedgwick - School Report 1986

In the words of my headmaster, back in 1986:

"I said last year that Marcus needs to show more ambition. The remark still stands."

Well, today, I wrote six thousand words of my new novel, yesterday I wrote a three thousand word early reader, tomorrow I'm flying to New York to finish writing a contracted screenplay with my brother, so reaching out across the years to 1986, I have only one (printable) thing to say to Howell Griffiths, and that is this....
Actually, that's unprintable too.

Sigh. There were somemore favourable comments to be found, way back at the end of Easter term, 1986, such as this from my lovely form tutor, Mr Burgoyne: "He seems to have a sound analytical mind." Note the use of the word 'seems' in there. Mr Burgoyne was the teacher I wanted to have for all subjects, not just History, but he's probably the reason there's so much historical stuff in my novels.

And not so many Maths-based plot lines: Some accurate comments from Mr Neeve: "Marcus is not a gifted Mathematician." Shame I was doing two Maths A-levels, then.

Still, my other Maths teacher had this to say "His written work, although not always neat, is well documented, and it is easy to follow his train of thought." As one would that of any simple creature of the forest, perhaps.

Why am I telling you this? Because I just found the offending article in a drawer while looking for my passport and it made me chuckle.

In an almost entirely good way.

5 comments:

dex and bebe said...

Stuff school they didnt know what they had! Ironically we wonder if they have your books in the library! xxx we love you Marcus

Anonymous said...

I just stumbled across your site Marcus through a review you wrote in the Guardian.
I got to that through a home education site (Dare to know)
We used to get on the bus together at Wingham to go to school.
Do you remember the game where we had to run as fast as possible to the edge of the kerb without falling off the edge?
Sounds crap but was loads of fun.

All the best

Darren Elgar

Nick Riddle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mariel said...

I remember a particular teacher telling me I'd never get anywhere in science and should stick to things I actually understood like english and history. Guess I showed him!

Just discovered your site, love your work, most recently White Crow.

Hope this wind isn't playing too much havok with your field archery. We're stuck inside again :(

CH also a writer said...

Fuck me. I thought I was the only one to think that Welsh tosser was a complete cunt. Or am I overstating the case?

No.