I’m thrilled to be appearing at the inaugural Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, which takes place on Saturday 25 April in southwest London. If you have children and live in London or within reach of Barnes don’t miss what promises to be a fantastic event – read on to find out more!
Barnes Children’s Literature Festival
As you may be able to see from above, the Barnes Children’s Literature festival – organised by book publicist and local mum of two girls, Amanda Brettargh – includes a fantastic line-up of award-winning authors for children of all ages.
Barnes village lies a mile or so south of Hammersmith Bridge. It’s a lovely place to spend the day – we have our very own duck pond and village green, plenty of cafes, delis, family-friendly pubs and restaurants, the river Thames at the top of the high street and one of the coolest cinemas in London – on which more below!
So who will be there …?
Well, here are just a few tasters… (you’ll find a link to the full programme below)
- Multi-award-winning picture-book author, Chris Haughton – not only will he be bringing his fabulous picture books to life at his own session, there’s also the UK premiere of the stage production of his award-winning picture book ‘A Bit Lost’
- Picture book illustrator Alex Scheffler – of Gruffalo fame – say no more!
- Abbie Longstaff – author of The Fairytale Hairdresser series
- Sally Gardner –award winning author of ‘Maggot Moon’ – at the festival she’ll be talking about what makes a good detective and her fairy detective series ‘Wings & Co’
- Author-illustrator David Mackintosh – who’ll be drawing as well as reading from his latest book ‘Lucky’
- Marcia Williams – author of the acclaimed ‘Archie’s War’ – a child’s scrapbook of the First World War
- Jim Smith – author of ‘I am not a loser’ series
- Piers Torday – introducing his new novel ‘The Wild Beyond’ – the final in his trilogy
- Horrible Histories® illustrator Martin Brown
- Britain’s favourite poet and local resident Roger McGough who has even penned a poem for the festival!
There will also be book-to-film cinema events curated by Guardian film critic, Danny Leigh, at the ultra cool Olympic Studios. And Julia Eccleshare, children’s books editor of The Guardian, will be interviewing teenage author Helena Coggan.
For my own part, I’ll be introducing 7-10 year-olds to my popular graphic novel Eeek! The Runaway Alien – you can find out more about my session here
The above really is just a sample – see the full programme and book tickets here. (All ticket sale proceeds go to charity.)
With thanks to my local bookshops and schools
Needless to say I’m both proud and honoured to be part of the festival. Those of you who follow my writers’ blog will know that I regularly take my books into schools in southwest London and have hosted many signing events in local bookshops and Waterstones – all of whom have been incredibly receptive and have stocked my books from the outset, often placing them face-out with shelf-talkers that I supply.
So I’d like to say thank you to the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival – and to southwest London yet again – for giving me this next opportunity to raise my profile. And thank you to my local bookshops, notably The Barnes Bookshop (through which my festival sales will pass), Sheen Books, Wimbledon Books and seven branches of Waterstones in southwest London. Also thanks to so many local schools for having me in and to the local press for so often sharing my stories. But most of all, thank you to my young readers, both near and far for buying and enjoying my stories!
More inaugural book festivals during April
Can’t get enough of books? Here are two more new literature festivals for your diary if you live or work around London or in Gloucestershire!
- On Friday 17 April 4.30-7.30 pm Foyles Bookshop is hosting the 2015 Indie Author Book Fair at their flagship store in Charing Cross – the first of its kind as part of London Book and Screen Week and gives you the chance to meet and chat with over 50 top top selling independently published authors across a range of genres. The event is free and you’ll find information about an exciting free competition using the link above!
- The unstoppable author, speaker and PR consultant Debbie Young is hosting the inaugural Hawkesbury Upton Literary Festival on World Book Night 23 April – don’t miss this wonderful village event which has an impressive roll-call of authors and speakers and will centre around the village pub! If you live in or around the Gloucestershire area it promises to be extremely special!
This year in particular certainly seems to have sprung a new breed of literature festival – so here’s to bookshops, litfest organisers and authors themselves for helping reshape the future of book selling in this fast-changing world. I’m sure we all agree that these changes are for everyone’s benefit – author, reader and bookseller alike.
Getting to Barnes
If you’re on public transport it’s a five-minute bus ride or 20-minute walk from Hammersmith Tube, or a five-minute walk from Barnes or Barnes Bridge over-ground stations. If you’re driving you’ll find parking in the streets a few minutes walk away from the immediate central village area.
Thank you so much for the shout-out for the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, Karen. I’m sure you’re right – there’s a new mood afoot in litfests around the country, putting the focus back on readers and the joy of reading. Next year, we’re planning to make our festival a whole-day event on Saturday 23rd April, to allow us to include more great events including family-friendly ones. I hope you’ll be able to join us to stage a children’s event about your fabulous books.
My pleasure, Debbie! I hope it goes really well and, yes, I’d love to join you next year – here’s hoping it doesn’t clash with Barnes!!! (Mind you I could probably manage both – a bit like one of those jockeys who helicopters between racing events on the same day – albeit I would be arriving with less of a statement 🙂 )