An award-winning local author held fans of his books spellbound when he visited Otley last week.

Ilkley-based Martyn Bedford read excerpts from his works including his acclaimed novel for teenagers, Flip, when he met students at Prince Henry’s Grammar School.

The writer also led a lively question and answer session, which touched upon his inspiration, the challenges of writing from the perspective of a character who is a different gender, and how he picks the locations of his stories.

Faculty Leader in English at Prince Henry’s, Annie Cunniffe, said: “Events like these really encourage students into reading and attempting writing of their own.

“Whether they are young people who devour books at the moment or they haven’t got going yet, we try and encourage as diverse a group of students to attend as we can.

“They get inspiration for their own writing or encouragement to read a new genre when they are listening to such an interesting speaker.”

Students queued up to have their books signed by Mr Bedford, who has written five novels for adults and two for teenagers, at the end of the visit.

Flip, the story of a 14-year-old who wakes up one morning to discover he has become another boy, won four literary prizes and was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Awards and the Leeds Book Awards.