Camilla Duchess of Cornwall speaks to author David Walliams about the importance of young people reading

The pair had a chat to mark the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 
Robert Jobson20 May 2020

The Duchess of Cornwall has spoken to author and TV star David Walliams about the importance of young people reading and writing.

Camilla, Vice-Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society since 2018, had a video chat with Walliams, 48, about the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) - the world’s oldest international schools’ writing competition running since 1883.

The Duchess, asked if his son, Alfred, had inherited his story-telling skills.

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Walliams replied, "He’s coming up with ideas for stories all the time. I mean, they come thick and fast. So he’s really into that and really into stories! He tends to choose other writers rather than me…"

He told Camilla he has kept himself busy writing during the lockdown.

Walliams added, "So we are going to talk about the Commonwealth essay writing competition. Brilliant theme this year, which is the environment."

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Camilla explained, "You can tell it by poetry, you can write an essay, you can write a story. I actually launched it in New Zealand this year… well it wasn’t this year - gosh I’ve lost track of time! It was last year. The year before I launched it in Ghana and it’s very interesting the response I’ve had.

"The entries, after I was able to say something about it - they doubled! So that was very exciting. I hope this year they might treble and quadruple! We just want lots and lots and lots of these aspiring young writers to enter because, as you said before, some of their stories really are verging on brilliant.

The author, whose childrens' books include Awful Auntie, replied, "Really be as imaginative as you can. There [are] millions of children who could potentially enter this competition. They have got a chance, haven’t they, until June to submit their stories online at the Royal Commonwealth Society website. Well, it’s never a better time, I think, to be writing or reading than this time. And I find, personally, that when I do creative work, it passes the time beautifully. They’re brilliant! And I know that this theme is really going to get them going, so I can’t wait to read the entries."

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For 2020, the theme of the QCEC is ‘Climate Action and the Commonwealth’.

Young people are called upon to consider their position and power in bringing about change, and how the Commonwealth can be used as a tool for positive action.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall launched the QCEC in New Zealand in November 2019 and entries are accepted online (competitions.thercs.org) until 30th June 2020.

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