Is There a Pigeon in the Room?: My Life in Schools

by Cameron Wyllie

Is There a Pigeon in the Room?  is a deeply personal book about Cameron Wyllie's remarkable four-decade career in teaching. It's a tapestry of anecdotes and reflections on topics like drugs, parenting and sex education, laced with stories about memorable individuals. What did he say to the Third Year after drinking too much gin with the Head? Who was Adolf? What happened to the horrible bus driver? While the intention is to make the reader laugh plenty, Cameron also deals with discipline, refugees, tragic events, his own status as a gay man and tells us the story of Tes, an Eritrean boy who inspired hundreds of young people with his love of education. Cameron taught over 8,000 students in his career. Having been once described as 'the place where Jean Brodie meets Kenneth Williams' the book also charts the surprising trajectory of a career which culminated in his appointment as Principal of George Heriot's, one of Edinburgh's most prestigious schools.

249 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2022

About the author

Cameron Wyllie started teaching English at Daniel Stewart’s and Melville College in Edinburgh in 1980 and ended his career nearly forty years later as Principal of George Heriot’s School, the Sunday Times ‘Scottish Independent School of the decade’ (2021). He is now a writer and journalist and lives in Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Sarah Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because it featured Tim who I lived with in university when he was a baby and like a sibling to my baby, Thea. When people say it must have been hard having a baby at uni I always laugh because I lived with my friends, Kate and Stuart and we shared an idyllic life bringing up our babies together in a wonderful house on campus. Tim went to George Heriot school in Edinburgh and his story is in the book. Kate recommended this book to me because of Tim being in it but also because I am an English teacher. I absolutely loved it despite the heartbreak of reading about Tim. Wyllie puts into words so eloquently how many of my experiences as a teacher have panned out. I thought the way he wrote about Kate and Tim was beautifully written. I laughed and cried my way through the book and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone but especially all my English teacher friends.

[Emma Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameron Wylie is a wordsmith, conjuring up empathy, humour, sadness and delight with a deftness that those of us more inclined to logic and bullet points are left in awe of. His voice rings true throughout this memoir and this was a very enjoyable read.

[Ailis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most enjoyable. Laugh out loud passages interspersed with deep sadness and nostalgia. I wish Mr Wyllie had taught me « Stopping by Woods on a Snowy evening » Alas homosexuality didn’t sit so lightly on the shoulders of my high school English teacher.

[FitzAlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Droll dominie's insightful, hilarious and engaging memoir.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2022
Wielding his deft prose, the author conjures up vivid characters and tales from his scholastic past both humorous and tragic but never dull. I found myself convincingly catapulted back to my own school days; a portal to the other country that is the past behind those forbidding grey, stone walls (these were indeed different times).

The text is illuminated by the author's ability to discern or elicit the innate humanity of an individual or situation. The secret to his sustained professional success is clearly the retention of a rare and genuine empathy with, and interest in, the lives and development of his teenage charges. He is also searingly frank about his own youth.

An enthralling read, of which there should be further volumes.

[Clare McKeown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for anyone who’s fed up with hearing endless moaning in the media about teenagers. Describing the often deeply funny experiences of 40 years of teaching, it celebrates the originality, creativity, kindness and sheer life force of many of Cameron’s 8,000 or so pupils. They were not necessarily obedient. If they had been this book would not have been so funny. And some had lives that took a tragic turn. Of those, Cameron writes with heartfelt sadness rather than stock sympathy. The book brings vibrantly to life the joy and promise he was always able to see in his students. It’s optimism, positivity and laugh-out-loud hilarity are a total tonic.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

With brilliant, emotional passages sandwiched between laughs and musings on important issues, this book is a gem.

It's an honest narration which makes one reflect on one's own journey. Highly recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hugely heartwarming read, like a warm hug with gems of humour and love sprinkled throughout. Sad and poignant parts too, which encourages self reflection.

A most enjoyable read, highly recommend!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cam was my teacher, a colleague of my mother’s and (is) a family friend. So I had to read it. I didn’t have to finish it in a day or mist up on the way through. There’s a lot of wisdom in here, even if you don’t know the man.

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! Obviously, as an English teacher I might be slightly biased but this is a brilliant read. I found myself laughing and crying in equal measures. Loved it.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely funny and managed to make me wish Mr Wyllie had taught me English.