Ascent Autism Specialist College student gets a visit from a celebrated author

Fantasy author Wes. M Henshaw recently visited the Preloved Project in Newton-le-Willows to discuss his new book with students from Ascent Autism Specialist College.

The distinguished author met with Ascent Autism Specialist College student; Courtney, a self-proclaimed bookworm. Courtney received a signed copy of Wes’s upcoming novel and was placed on the pre-release for the second instalment of the book series.

Before visiting the Preloved Project, Wes had heard about some of Courtney’s recent achievements, including her participation in the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Young Leaders programme and her Access to Higher Education work.

Earlier this month, Courtney put her DofE Young Leader skills to practice when she supported a group of her college peers on their gold DofE award practice.

Wes described being asked to visit the Preloved Project to discuss his book as ‘surreal’. He said: “”It was a little surreal, being asked to come in and talk about my book, something that was never meant to be read beyond my own scribe from something nothing more than thoughts that came in and had to be scribed, never mind felt in a physical form.

“I was very humbled, not only by the invite, but by how reading is still a part of everyday society – an escape from the digital world we all now take as the norm. I hoped to have been able to pass on some of my passion and advocacy for literacy and our imaginations to mingle – to allow freedom of our minds, through all it does, and could contain.”

Wes, who previously lived in Newton-le-Willows overlooking Wargrave House, currently resides in Australia. His return to English soil comes as the promotion of his upcoming novel, Festivals of the Night, kicks off.

The Preloved Project, based in Lyme and Wood, is a student-led initiative that forms part of Ascent Autism Specialist College and was launched to support students develop new skills and understand the importance of sustainability and enterprise.

The Preloved Project and Ascent Autism Specialist College are part of the Remarkable Autism Charity. The charity has a range of initiatives, including Wargrave House School & Sixth Form, Ascent Autism Specialist College, and Sundial Therapy Services.

CEO of Remarkable Autism Charity, Robin Bush, said: “Across the Remarkable family, we strive to ensure each young person has access to invaluable experiences and opportunities. We are always looking for new ways to excite and engage students, helping them to love learning.”

Based in Newton-le-Willows, Ascent Autism Specialist College supports young people aged 16 to 25 living with autism to develop skills and access opportunities that enable them to live more independent lives.

For more information on Ascent Autism Specialist College click here. For more information on the Remarkable Autism Charity visit click here.