GUESTS to an event celebrating Kingham Hill School's new £3 million library were treated to a talk by an award-winning author.

Members of the Kingham community, near Chipping Norton, enjoyed a tour of the library and listened to a talk by former Kingham pupil, and thriller writer, Roger Jon Ellory.

The day's events celebrated the theme Tolle Lege - 'take up and read' - and followed the library's official opening by Baroness Caroline Cox in July.

Nick Seward, headmaster, said: "Since opening our new library it has become the academic heart of the school. I am so proud to see our pupils grasping the opportunities to learn inside and outside of school with both hands.

"This is something we wholeheartedly encourage as reading allows children to explore and learn from the world around them every time the pick up a book."

At the event, Mr Ellory spoke about how historical figures and his grandmother inspired him to read and how this encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

He said: "Once again, this was a wonderful opportunity to revisit a very significant period of my life.

"Every moment I spend at Kingham Hill reminds me how significant the years I spent there actually were in determining the direction I took in life.

"Not only academically priceless, but also an invaluably life-affirming and formative experience for everything I have undertaken as an adult. I am truly proud to be an Old Hillian."

The school library was completed earlier this year and was designed by former Kingham student Mark Foley.

The new building is three times the size of the previous library and houses seminar, reading and studying space.