Yesterday Kate Markland had the pleasure of joining Nicky Price live on BBC Radio Gloucestershire to share the story behind The Adventures of Gabriel, a storytelling tradition with her son that has grown into a movement helping children across the UK fall in love with writing, imagination, and their own voices.

What began with Gabriel, then 10 years old, has now become a creative literacy model being adopted in schools—and it's coming to Gloucestershire.

A Sea Monster, A Platypus, and a Hero Named Gabriel

It all started after they finished reading Treasure Island together. Tired of hearing about Jim's adventures, Kate turned to Gabriel and asked: "Shall we make up a story where you're the hero?"

His answer was instant: Yes.

He began narrating wild and wonderful adventures—defeating sea monsters, searching for phoenixes, and gathering clues from a wise old owl. His sidekick? A platypus named Platy. (Not the most original name, they laughed, but Platy was his favorite childhood cuddly toy.)

Kate scribbled everything down as he spoke. Each week, she typed it up and read it back to him for edits, and he took those edits very seriously! After about eight weeks, her desktop was cluttered with story files, so she compiled them into a Word document. Gabriel looked at it and said, "Mum, this is a book."

And he was right.

From One Story to a Whole Method

At the time, Kate didn't think of it as anything special. But when she sent the PDF to a retired headteacher in Bradford and a child psychologist in the U.S., they both told her the same thing: "Get this out now."

They saw what she hadn't fully recognized yet—that this was storytelling from a child's perspective, created with joy, and powerful enough to inspire other children to do the same.

And so she started sharing the story. To her surprise, she kept getting asked: "What's the process?"

At first, she didn't even understand the question. But then it dawned on her: after 20 years as a physiotherapist, she'd spent her career listening to people's stories—about pain, about recovery, about hope. This was no different. She was simply listening to her son's imagination.

From Home to Schools—and Soon, Gloucestershire

What started at home is now being taught to children in schools, and soon, Kate will be bringing it to Gloucestershire.

In StoryQuest workshops, children work in pairs. One child tells their story, the other acts as the scribe, just like Kate did with Gabriel. Later, they swap roles. Then, in groups, they share their stories aloud, refining them with feedback from peers.

There are no blank pages. No pressure. Just imagination, connection, and creativity.

They ask each other things like: "How big was the dragon?" "What colour were the cat's eyes?" "How did the zombie apocalypse begin?"

They want to uplevel each other's stories. It's beautiful to watch, and it works.

Writing for Friends, Not for Tests

One of the biggest shifts Kate has seen is purpose. The children aren't writing for a teacher or a test. They're writing stories for themselves and their friends. They want to make them perfect because they care.

Teachers show them early drafts—even ones by Tolkien and Beckett—to demonstrate that great stories start messy. Children leave the workshop with a draft and an illustration, and then their teachers build on that over the term. By the end, their stories are compiled into The Adventures of [School Name].

In Bradford, they're working towards a full anthology—The Adventures of Bradford—and Kate would love to do the same in Gloucestershire.

Coming Soon: The Adventures of Gloucestershire

The first Gloucestershire school is already booked, and Kate is thrilled to begin this new chapter. The response from educators and children alike has been extraordinary.

Some of the children's stories have even made it onto community radio, where they perform their tales aloud, bringing them to life in front of a real audience.

"They love hearing their own voice. And more importantly, they love knowing someone else is listening."

Want to Get Involved?

If you're a parent, teacher, or school leader in Gloucestershire, Kate would love to hear from you.

Together, we can help children feel heard, inspired—and proud of their imagination.

"Just from telling a story," Kate said with a smile as she left the studio, "my life has changed. And now, children's lives are changing too."

And yes... The Platypus

Kate left behind a cuddly platypus in the BBC studio. Apparently, he's now the official mascot of the show. 🦆

Gloucestershire Schools: Get Involved

Be among the first Gloucestershire schools to bring StoryQuest to your students and help create The Adventures of Gloucestershire anthology.

Contact us: my-storyquest.com

Explore Gabriel's Books

Read the stories that started this journey—now inspiring children across the UK to become authors themselves.

theadventuresofgabriel.com

"They love hearing their own voice. And more importantly, they love knowing someone else is listening." — Kate Markland