Thursday, April 03, 2014

Manchester Children’s Book Festival 2014

War Horse author Michael Morpurgo to appear at Manchester Children’s Book Festival 2014
Special musical performance ofPrivate Peaceful to commemorate WW1
Full line-up announced. Tickets on sale now
Festival runs from June 26th to July 6th
THE line-up for this year’s Manchester Children’s Book Festival has been announced, with a special performance ofMichael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful featuring the author and singing trio Coope, Boyes & Simpson as one of the highlights.
The festival organisers at Manchester Metropolitan University have worked hard to ensure that 2014 will be the biggest and most exciting Manchester Children’s Book Festival yet, with a mix of author talks, workshops, writing and arts projects to get involved in and competitions.
Other well-known authors appearing at the festival include David Almond (Skellig), Sarah McIntyre & Philip Reeve (Oliver and the Seawigs) andCerrie Burnell (CBeebies, Snowflake).
Also confirmed are Steve Cole (Astrosaurs, Young Bond),Andrew Cope (Spy Dog), Curtis Jobling (Wereworld), Cathy Cassidy (Chocolate Box Girls), Liz Kessler (Emily Windsnap),Tom Palmer (Over The Line), Sufiya Ahmed (Secrets of a Henna Girl),Guy Bass (The Legend of Frog), Kate Pankhurst (Mariella Mystery),Justin Somper (Vampirates), Ali Sparkes (The Shapeshifter), Darren Shan (Zom-B) and Carol Ann Duffy.
In addition to the author events there will also be a family fun day on Saturday, June 28th, featuring a host of events including a Seawigs parade that will feature handmade Seawigs. Details of how to make your own Seawig are available on Sarah McIntyre’s website, www.jabberworks.co.uk.
Knitted sea monkeys will be auctioned off to raise money for the charity Readwell, who are working with the festival to put books on the shelves at Manchester Children’s Hospital School.
At other points in the festival, children will have the opportunity to make a War Horse-inspired puppet, and poets Paul Cookson and Tony Walsh will showcase a new WWI-themed performance based on Manchester Metropolitan University’s Walking In Their Shoes: Tweets from the Trenches project.
Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who is director of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “Our programme of events features events where we welcome you into the university to meet your favourite authors, artists and performers. There are events at our partner libraries, theatres, museums, galleries, bookshops and hotels throughout Manchester; and in schools, bringing writers into classrooms to inspire young people.”
Manchester Metropolitan University Vice-ChancellorProfessor John Brooks, said: “I share Carol Ann’s view that this should be a festival for everyone and have been pleased to support the special projects designed to raise aspirations and confidence in young people, and to encourage the broadest possible audience to engage with literature, the arts, and opportunities for creative expression.”
The festival runs from June 26th to July 6th. Tickets are on sale to the public now fromwww.mcbf.org.uk.
The Manchester Children’s Book Festival is a biennial celebration of writing for young people, launched in 2010.
The festival has previously featured appearances from authors including Philip Pullman, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen.
It is organised by Manchester Metropolitan University, with many events held on the university’s Oxford Road campus, as well as at partner venues including Manchester Central Library, the National Football Museum and the People’s History Museum.
Author biographies:
Michael Morpurgo is best known for his children’s novels, although he has also written poems, plays and librettos. He was integral in creating the post of Children’s Laureate alongside Ted Hughes, and held the position from 2003 to 2005. He has won the Whitbread Children’s Book Award, and has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal a total of four times.
Carol Ann Duffy is the current Poet Laureate and the Creative Director of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has won the Whitbread Award, the Dylan Thomas Prize, the TS Eliot Prize, the Costa Book Award and the PEN/Pinter Prize. This year BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour named her one of the 100 most powerful women in the country.
Sarah McIntyre & Philip Reeve are the creators of the newly-published Oliver and the Seawigs, described by Telegraph culture editor Martin Chilton as “a fun-packed delight”. Philip Reeve is a prolific author and illustrator who provided images for many of the Horrible Histories books. His novel Here Lies Arthur won the 2007 Carnegie Medal. Sarah has written numerous children’s books and comics, and has won prizes including the Sheffield Children’s Book Award and the Leeds Graphic Novel Award.
Andrew Cope is the author of the bestselling “Spy Dog” and “Spy Pups” series. The books are based on the fictional adventures of Cope’s real-life rescue dog, Lara, who accompanies him on his book tours.
Curtis Jobling started his creative career as an animator, bringing the world of Bob The Builder to life. His books Frankenstein’s Cat and Raa Raa have been turned into television series. His latest project is a series of books for young adults, Wereworld.
Cathy Cassidy is the author of The Chocolate Box Girls series, and a former agony aunt for Shout magazine. She has been nominated for the Queen of Teen award three times.
Liz Kessler is the author of the Emily Windsnap books, based on the adventures of a half-mermaid and her friends, including The Tail of Emily Windsnap and the most recent, Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun. Her latest novel, North of Nowhere, centres around the mysterious disappearance of a young girl’s grandfather from his seaside home.
Tom Palmer is the author of the Puffin series Football Academy, Foul Play and The Squad. He has been shortlisted for the Blue Peter Award and Secret FC was this year chosen by the Book Trust for inclusion in their School Library Pack which is sent to 4,000 English schools.

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