Book Festival, Childrens Programme of the Book Festival
The children programme of the Book Festival is a fascinating festival. Each year in Birmingham, from October to March, children and adults can enjoy the Book Festival to mark the start of the school year. This famous literary festival is known as the “Founded Books Festival” and is organised by the Arts Council of the United Kingdom.
The festival is a great opportunity for children and parents to experience the joys of literature. It is not just a celebration of the written word but an opportunity to celebrate the literary works that children have loved all year round. In this article I take you on a brief journey through some of the main events and attractions of this wonderful festival. In my view it is important to celebrate books and children’s writers alike.
During the week leading up to the Book Festival there are several workshops and activities that children and parents can participate in. One such workshop, titled “Books in the classroom: writing for kids”, is led by Mrs Gillian Martin, Head of Policy and Communications at the Press Association. She gives visitors the opportunity to write books based on their own experiences in the classroom.
This is followed by a book hunt, in which book lovers are invited to search for books in libraries, bookshops and community centres. On Saturday morning the visitors are presented with “Ten Best Books for Kids”. This is followed by a book performance by children dressed up as fictional book characters.
Another workshop entitled “Books in Bed – A Practical Guide to Making a Bedtime Book” is taught by Paul Owen and features Dr. Steven Dawe, a Clinical Psychologist. The aim of this workshop is to teach parents how to make a book that children will enjoy reading. An exciting activity is a Children’s Reading Exam, where each child is given a book, a questionnaire and three minutes to answer questions about the book. The winning child will be awarded a prize.
During the Children’s Programme of the Book Festival there will also be events like book drives. In Edinburgh during May the first ever Book Drive took place. As well as selling literature a number of local businesses would offer literature that parents could buy in order to support the children’s organisations supporting the book. These book drives were made possible through a sponsorship by the Wellcome Trust, The Scottish Government and Visit Scotland. Over thirty businesses took part in the drive, which raised a very considerable amount of money for the children’s charity.
The other major book festival taking place in the UK this year is the London Literature Festival. This is a six-day event taking place at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London from the 3rd to the 8th of May. The main feature of the festival is a reading of a selection of short stories and poems by established writers and celebrities. Other events include musical performances and the traditional literature reading. For an experience in literature the writer should see the London Literature Festival.
As well as events taking place at the British Museum, Tate Britain and the Book Festival in London there will be other events taking place around the world at related times. It has been announced that a new children’s television series will be premiering on the Sixties Choice Award evening in September. This new series promises to be a rival for Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter in the minds of young viewers. So if you are looking for a new television programme for your child this autumn, this is an ideal time to look for a children’s programme that will keep your little ones entertained.