Louisa MacDougall, who was at Cupernham Junior School in the 1980s, spent time with Year 3 pupils sharing Rory and the Snack Dragons, a story about a dragon who likes to eat bicycles.
She also visited Romsey Abbey Primary School, where she read The Highland Cowgirl, which was also published this summer.
Louisa, whose unmarried name is McLennan, now lives in the Outer Hebrides with her husband and children, but she visits family and friends in Romsey when she can.
She said: “It was lovely to be back where my passion for writing began.
The cover of Rory and the Snack Dragons (Image: Louisa MacDougall)
“The teachers at Cupernham, especially Mrs Morgan and Mr Sturgess, did so much to encourage my creative writing dreams, and as a secondary pupil, I spent a lot of time in Romsey Library, hoping that one day a book of my own might find its way onto a library’s shelves.
“The pupils at the schools I visited were so enthusiastic about using their imaginations, that I have no doubt that they will be back sharing their own books before too long.”
Louisa has written children’s fiction as a hobby for several years, but this summer is the first time her work has been published – she now has three children’s books out with three different publishers.
Rory and the Snack Dragons, the Highland Cowgirl, and the Great Auk’s Great Escape, are available to order from bookshops, libraries, and online.
