Booker Prize nominee praises his school teachers

An author whose latest book has been nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize said childhood boredom inspired his creativity.

Luke Kennard, who grew up in Chard in Somerset, has been shortlisted for Black Bag , which is based on an experiment involving an actor sitting in a bin bag at the back of a lecture hall.

He said, as a child, he had "quite a lot of time to practice" his creative passions.

Kennard also praised his teachers at the town's Holyrood Academy and said: "It just can't be exaggerated how much difference a teacher can make when they find a kid who has a passion for their subjects."

Kennard said growing up in a quiet town had an impact on his "creative impulse".

"You stay in your room playing the clarinet or writing a poem - there's a certain virtue to being a little bit bored sometimes, and just having to amuse yourself."

Kennard attended Holyrood Academy from 1992 to 1999 and studied both GCSE and A-level English Literature.

He added: "It was the teachers that I had who really encouraged my writing- that's quite foundational."

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