Star authors visit county for children’s book festival

01 Nov 2017

Hundreds of Northumberland children will have the chance to meet their favourite authors over the next two weeks, as the 34th Northern Children’s Book Festival gets underway.

The festival which runs from 6 - 17 November  is one of the largest children’s book festivals in the UK, and a host of inspiring and top name authors,​ ​poets,​ ​storytellers​ ​and​ ​illustrators​ ​will​ ​visiting​ ​schools​ ​and​ ​libraries​ ​across​ the region.

Northumberland County Council’s library staff have arranged for four children’s authors and illustrators to visit Northumberland to meet children and young people across the county.

They will be talking about their books, telling stories and making pictures, with lots of opportunities for audience participation and questions. The events are always entertaining and promote the message that reading is fun.

Tracey​ ​Corderoy,​ ​award​ ​winning​ ​author,​ ​will​ ​be​ ​holding​ ​interactive story​ ​sessions​ ​based​ ​around​ ​her​ ​picture​ ​books​ ​and​ ​early​ ​reader series​ ​‘Shifty​ ​McGifty​ ​and​ ​Slippery​ ​Sam’.​ ​​Tracey​ ​will​ ​be​ ​visiting Embleton​ ​Primary​ ​and​ ​Swansfield​ ​Park​ ​Schools​ ​on​ ​Wednesday​ ​8th November.

Another​ ​fantastic​ ​award​ ​winning​ ​author,​ ​Guy​ ​Bass,​ ​will​ ​be reading​ ​and​ ​talking​ ​to​ ​children​ ​about​ ​his​ ​latest​ ​series ‘Spynosaur’.​ ​Guy​ ​will​ ​be​ ​visiting​ ​Chantry​ ​and​ ​Newminster​ ​Middle Schools in Morpeth​ ​on​ ​Thursday​ ​9th​ ​November.

Author​ ​and​ ​singer​ ​songwriter​ ​Alan​ ​Windram​ ​will​ ​be​ ​sharing his​ ​lovable​ ​‘Mac​ ​and​ ​Bob’​ ​series​ ​of​ ​picture​ ​books.​ ​ ​Alan​ ​will be​ ​visiting​ ​Ashington​ ​Central​ ​Primary​ ​School​ ​on​ ​Friday​ ​10th November.

Last,​ ​but​ ​by​ ​no means​ ​least,​ ​Philip​ ​Ardagh,​ ​author​ ​of​ ​over 100​ ​books​ ​and​ ​winner​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Roald​ ​Dahl​ ​Funny​ ​Prize​ ​will be​ ​entertaining​ ​children​ ​with​ ​tales​ ​from​ ​his​ ​book​ ​series ‘The​ ​Grunts’​ ​ ​and​ ​giving​ ​them​ ​ideas​ ​on​ ​how​ ​to​ ​start creating​ ​their​ ​own​ ​stories.​ ​ ​Philip​ ​will​ ​be​ ​visiting Ovingham​ ​Middle​ ​and​ ​Ponteland​ ​Middle​ ​Schools​ ​on Monday​ ​13th​ ​November.

Northumberland County Councillor, Cath Homer, cabinet member for culture, arts and leisure said:

“ We’re​ ​looking​ ​forward​ ​to​ ​a​ ​fantastic​ ​fortnight​ ​with​ ​the​ ​authors​ who are set to bring alive the wonder of literature for all the young people involved. Initiatives such as this, which get children interested in reading are so important and we hope they  go away enthused and inspired to read more often.”

The festival will culminate in a ​ ​Gala​ ​Day which takes place on  Saturday​ ​18th​ ​November at The​ ​Word,​ ​National​ ​Centre​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Written​ ​Word,​ ​South​ ​Shields.

Gala Day has something for everyone aged 4 – 13. There will be free, fun, interactive family sessions with award winning authors, illustrators and storytellers.   Gala​ ​Day​ ​events​ ​are​ ​free​ ​to​ ​attend​ ​but​ ​must​ ​be​ ​booked​ ​in​ ​advance on  www.northernchildrensbookfestival.org.uk