Sir Lenny Henry thanks teachers who inspired him

Comedian and children's author Sir Lenny Henry has thanked two teachers who inspired him to become a writer.

A pupil at Blue Coat School in Dudley in the 1970s, the 65-year-old recalled how the pair instilled his love for books.

Speaking at the Hay Festival in Powys, he said: "I had a brilliant teacher called Mr Brookes and he encouraged me to read, and so did Mr Nash.

"That's why I wanted to write. Every exam or any time there was an essay or a problem question in maths I made a story about it."

Henry has written several children's adventure comedy books featuring a character called Tunde Wilkinson, partly inspired by his experiences of a school bully.

He told the audience in Powys he was called names, punched and kicked on a daily basis until he realised his quick wit could help.

"The reason I am where I am today is because I had an idea why he was throttling me on the floor," he said.

"I said, 'You must really fancy me or something because rolling around on the floor fighting'.

"And anybody who was standing around, who usually said 'fight, fight, fight', they suddenly laughed at that joke.

"I said, 'You should come and meet my mum and dad and you can buy me a ring and make it official...'

"It just came out of me. I said, 'Let's go for a walk and hold hands and skip'. And he ran off.

"I wanted Tunde similar to have a similar sense of humour as he's bullied in the story."

The author, who went to university in his thirties, told the audience it was never too late to get an education.

"When I was at school, even though I had a great English teacher, I didn't really enjoy school because I was bullied and stuff," he said.

"When I was about 30, I decided I wanted to be a writer and I did an English degree with the Open University, and I loved it.

"Anybody here who studies and is older, and wants to study now, please do, because the Open University is great, and you can do it at home."

He has since completed an MA in screenwriting for TV and film and a PhD on the role of black people in the media.

Henry said he enjoyed the freedom he had to write and encouraged children to jot down ideas for stories.

"If you have an idea, you can write it down and that can be your story. I love that... your imagination running riot and just thinking up stupid stuff that kids will enjoy."

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