Recently Michael Frayn, renowned author and playwright visited Nonsuch High School For Girls to give a talk to English Literature and English Literature and Language students in Y12 and Y13 that are currently studying his 2002 novel, "Spies."



"Spies" is a war novel based around the childhood of a young boy named Stephen Wheatley who alongside his best friend Keith Hayward, thinks that Keith's mother is a German spy. The novel follows the two as they undergo espionage, trying to spy on Mrs Hayward and discover the truth. Throughout the novel, Frayn plays with the idea of perception, of both the characters within it and the reader; leaving them to make their own interpretations of the novel before all is revealed in the final chapter. The novel was based on a road in the village of Ewell, a five minute drive from Cheam, the area in which Nonsuch High School resides.


Frayn was asked many questions by both enthusiastic students and their teachers regarding "Spies", as well as advice about a career in writing. Frayn explained that the book was based loosely on his childhood, the character of Stephen alike himself, quite a submissive, timid figure. He told the students that he too had a friend that was rather dominant, alike Keith, who had often orchestrated the games they would play. The idea of a German spy originated, alike in the novel, from a notion of his childhood best friend.


The interviewing teacher told Frayn that students would be comparing his novel "Spies" with poetry from Sylvia Plath's "Ariel," for their A-Level exams. Frayn seemed rather shocked at this, unable to understand how he, let alone English students, would be able to do this. Frayn then reminisced, saying that he had, in fact, met Sylvia Plath at university, as they worked for the newspaper there together. 



Frayn also provided advice to those who were interested in writing as a future career. He mentioned that creative writing courses were often on offer when he started his career but thought they were often expensive. He provided a more inspirational alternative. "If you want to be a writer," he said, "Just do it." 



The session ended with a determined Y13 student asking Frayn to sign her book, to which he gladly accepted. A hoarde of students and teachers then followed, asking the same. 


Dayna Mistry 12.7, Nonsuch High School For Girls