Tia Fisher Inspires F Block with Award Winning Novel

We were delighted to welcome Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Award winner, author Tia Fisher, to Rugby School on 6th May. She spoke to our F Block pupils about her powerful and moving debut novel, Crossing the Line. Written entirely in verse, the book follows the story of 14-year-old Erik and offers an unflinching portrayal of county lines exploitation – an issue that continues to impact the lives of many young people across the UK.

Tia’s visit was particularly special for our students, as Crossing the Line had been nominated by them for the first-ever Rugby School Book Awards, hosted by the Temple Reading Room back in November. The novel earned second place in a closely contested vote. She was delighted to visit and share about her writing journey and the real-life events that inspired her novel.

We were immensely proud of the empathy, curiosity, and maturity our students demonstrated throughout the session, sparking thoughtful questions and deep reflection. Their engagement highlighted the importance of literature as a tool for awareness and change. We are deeply grateful to Tia for her time and honesty, and we very much look forward to welcoming her back to Rugby School in the future.