World Book Day Celebrations in the Moser Library

The Moser Library marked World Book Day this year with a full week of activities celebrating the power of reading, creativity and storytelling across the School.

The week began with the judging of entries for the House Book Bake Off, with the library filled with the delicious scent of freshly baked cakes inspired by favourite literary works. Houses produced a wonderful range of imaginative creations, and judging was taken very seriously by Headmaster Leo Winkley and Shrewsbury School Governor Sara Hankin. Entries were assessed for creativity and appearance, taste and texture, and it was a pleasure to hear the stories behind each bake, many of which were the result of a true team effort across year groups.

Among the highlights, Queen’s – Bridgeton received Highly Commended for Taste for its wonderfully light sponge with smooth buttercream icing and sophisticated flavours of poppy seed, bergamot and lemon. Ridgemount – Bookworm was Highly Commended for Presentation, admired for its intricate piping and beautifully finished icing.

There was a three-way tie for second place:

• Mary Sidney Hall – Hansel and Gretel, praised for its impressive structure and delicious light sponge.
• Oldhams – Matilda, a recognisable recreation of the famous cake from the film, featuring a rich chocolate sponge and smooth filling.
• The Grove – The Princess and the Pea, an impressive feat of baking engineering with three different sponge flavours and a memorable salted caramel ladder.

The overall winner was School House – Winnie the Pooh, a beautifully designed cake featuring delicately folded pages and a carefully hand-written quote. The judges praised its excellent cake-to-filling ratio, with apricot jam perfectly complementing the light sponge.

The week’s celebrations continued on Monday evening, when the library welcomed multi award-winning novelist Bryony Pearce to host two creative writing workshops. Pupils enjoyed the opportunity to develop their characterisation skills through a series of engaging exercises, particularly valuable preparation ahead of their upcoming exams.

Throughout the week, pupils also enjoyed a variety of daily library competitions, including designing a new book jacket and guessing which books members of staff are currently reading.