Owen Marshall  loves returning to Waitaki Boys’ High School.

The author spoke to a group of students recently  as part of the school’s book week.

Mr Marshall told the Oamaru Mail he hoped his talk would spur on “an enthusiasm for reading” among the students.

“It’s not just a way to pass the time, it’s a way to learn, it’s a way to be amused, to be fascinated, to enlarge your conception of people and the world.

“If you’re reading good stuff, it’s enlightening and educational and fun.”

Mr Marshall has published nearly 40 novels and short stories throughout his career.

His work has garnered numerous awards including the New Zealand Literary Fund Scholarship in Letters, fellowships at the University of Otago and Canterbury as well as the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Fellowship in Menton, France.

He became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature in 2000 and then was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012.

However, before that he was a teacher at Waitaki Boys’ from 1965 to 1985.

“I’ve been back several times over the years,” Mr Marshall said.

“It’s always a pleasure to come back here, I have happy memories of being here.

“It’s good to see the school in such good nick, the grounds are looking excellent.”