THE widower of a popular children’s author was delighted to see one of her stories brought to life by schoolchildren in Chippenham.

Almost 50 pupils from the town’s three secondary schools got involved in a Chippenham Library and Pageturners project adapting books for performance.

Two acts from each school were voted through to perform to an audience of 200 at the B Factor finals in the Neeld Hall.

Sheldon pupils Sameer Mamood, James Reynolds and Archie Fitzgerald were declared the winners with their adaptation of The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd.

After the author died of breast cancer aged 47, a trust was set up in her name and proceeds from her literary work are used to assist disadvantaged children with their reading skills.

Her husband Geoff Morgan, who was in the B Factor audience, said: “Siobhan would have been delighted with this.

“All the hard work in getting it up and running definitely paid off. Everyone was a winner.

“The performances were definitely A plus and five star factor quality. I hope this becomes at the very least an annual event.”

Year 6 pupils from a number of primary schools acted as mock judges at a dress rehearsal, while the final judging was performed by book blogger Carly Bennett, performance poet Toby Thompson and representatives from the Big State Theatre Company and Wiltshire Council’s Music Matters.

Carly Bennett said: “I had an absolutely brilliant night – it was so much fun being a judge and getting to watch some seriously inspiring performances.”

Some of the 12 to 13-year-olds who took part were inspired to join the Chippenham Library Thrillseekers reading group.

Wiltshire councillor Jonathon Seed, cabinet member for libraries, said: “This has been a wonderful community project engaging young people from all three schools.”

The project was funded by the Chippenham Borough Lands charity.