19 April, Rainbow Trust

MARIELLA FROSTRUP CHAIRS LITERARY EVENT IN AID OF RAINBOW TRUST
Journalist and television presenter, Mariella Frostrup will be chairing a discussion panel of contemporary children's authors. The event, Writing the Right Things will be held at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 19 April, 2007 with all funds raised to Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. The charity support families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness.
Authors taking part in the discussion include; Malorie Blackman (Noughts and Crosses, Pig Heart Boy, Hacker soon to be published Unheard Voices), Kevin Brooks (Martyn Pig, Lucas and soon to be published, Being), Cathy Cassidy (Driftwood, Scarlett, Indigo Blue and Dizzy) and Nick Tucker (The Rough Guide to Children’s Books, The Child and the Book and Family Fictions).
Each writer will talk about what inspires them to write for children and how they approach sensitive topics in their work. The panel will also discuss changes in children’s literature over the last ten years and the audience will have the opportunity to put forward their questions too.

The invited authors were chosen as they tackle sensitive issues in their work. Rainbow Trust’s own Family Support Workers often use books as a means of engaging with a child to encourage them to express their feelings about the death of their sibling in a secure and supportive way.

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity has been providing practical and emotional support to families who have a seriously ill child for over twenty years now. The charity does this in two ways; Family Support Workers can provide non-medical 24 hour care in a family's own home by helping out with daily household tasks as well as providing emotional support.

Families can also spend time at the charity’s respite houses is Surrey and in Northumberland where families can enjoy a much needed break where all the daily practicalities are taken care of, allowing families to spend quality time together.

Mariella Frostrup, who will be chairing this discussion, said:
"I’m delighted to be chairing this very special event and supporting Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. I’m very much looking forward to discussing these topics with such a well respected panel of children’s authors."
"Once you’ve discovered the joy of reading, it’s a pleasure that never leaves you. As well as it being an enjoyable pastime, literature can help children address a wide variety of topics that may be taboo in their everyday lives including death. Books can be a marvellous tool in which to initiate discussion and help children process some very difficult feelings."
"I hope to see many young faces in the audience asking lots of questions in what promises to be a lively and interesting debate."
To purchase tickets (£15.00 per person) or for further information, please contact Judith on 01372 220042 or email; judith.osorio@rainbowtrust.org.uk