The SouthGate shopping centre in Bath is hosting free family poetry readings tomorrow, with youngsters being invited to enjoy performances from award-winning children’s poet, Josh Seigal.
The fun, educational readings will take place tomorrow, Tuesday 14th August, between 11am and 1pm, lasting 30 minutes each.
The event, which will be hosted in front of the tree in the main square at SouthGate, is aimed at primary school children aged between five and 11.
Organised by SouthGate’s co-owner, British Land, the event has been inspired by the centre’s sponsorship of Bath’s Minerva’s Owls sculpture trail and will feature performances of owl-themed poems such as Edward Lear’sThe Owl and the Pussy-Cat.
During the sessions, children will enjoy animated readings from Josh Seigal, who will also perform poems from his award-winning books, including I Don’t Like Poetry and Little Lemur Laughing.
Guy Henderson, centre manager at SouthGate, said: “Bath’s Minerva’s Owls sculpture trail has been really popular with our shoppers this summer so, as the official sponsor of the trail, we wanted to host a special event that captured the buzz the owls have inspired.
“Josh is a brilliant performer and will really bring the poetry to life in an engaging way for the kids. I’d encourage parents who are stuck for something free to do with the children on Tuesday to come along, as it’s a great way to keep them entertained, while also encouraging them to enjoy literature.”
The event is free and open to everyone, with no requirement to sign up ahead of the day or any restriction on the number of attendees.
The poetry readings follow a series of storytelling sessions which were held with three local schools in June in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
The events were part of the Young Readers Programme and were designed to encourage children to enjoy reading in their spare time.
