BARRY Loser is the boy who makes everyone at his school laugh.

And his ‘loserkeel’ life has proved an award-winning hit among young readers.

Writer and illustrator Jim Smith talked to the audience about the way he creates the books.

He took them through the process of creating his distinctive drawings, and then he drew some caricatures of the children, which they obviously loved.

The Barry Loser series are one of a current crop of books that make it easier to persuade young boys to read.

They are full of burps and jokes and funny scrapes, and appeal to children who like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the works of David Walliams.

It’s great for youngsters to get the chance to meet the writer and find out more about how ‘Barry Loser’ grew up to be a successful writer and illustrator.

MORWENNA BLAKE