Tell stories from the past with Bali Rai

Kick off a classroom adventure with a virtual author visit! This teaching sequence is based around an episode of the Author in Your Classroom podcast, with Bali Rai.

Pupils can listen as the author shares what inspired his early writing and how he brings untold historical voices to life. The podcast is a perfect way to connect students with a professional writer while sparking ideas for their own storytelling.

Teaching overview

This unit invites children to write historical stories from unique perspectives. Inspired by Bali Rai’s Now or Never, they explore Dunkirk through Private Fazal Khan’s eyes, a soldier whose story has rarely been told. Students will select an event to write about and choose a narrator, either familiar or overlooked. Using extracts from the podcast, PowerPoint slides, and planning sheets, they map out historical details and emotional journeys for their characters.

Throughout the unit, pupils focus on showing character emotions, exploring perspectives, and using sensory details to bring stories alive. Sessions guide them from brainstorming events, planning story arcs, and writing first-person narratives, to editing and redrafting. They learn to include accurate historical information while keeping their character’s voice authentic.

By the end, children not only create compelling narratives but also reflect on why some historical voices remain unheard. The unit encourages empathy, research skills, and creative confidence. Sharing work on a classroom “working wall” celebrates achievements and inspires peers.

With Bali Rai’s insights and the podcast extracts, students discover how to turn history into gripping stories. And who knows? Their voices might uncover a story the world has never heard before.