The line-up for this year’s Bath Children’s Literature Festival has been revealed, with more than 100 local and national writers, creators and illustrators set to take part.
Image © Bath Festivals
The festival, which begins on Friday 29th September, features a programme including Sir Lenny Henry, Cressida Cowell, Greg Jenner and Dermot O’Leary.
Families will be able to enjoy weekend activities, alongside an engaging and inclusive schools programme, craft activities, interactive book events, toddler time film screenings and a host of YA authors.
The Children’s Literature Festival, Europe’s largest stand-alone children’s book festival, will be guest curated by award-winning author and illustrator Rob Biddulph.
Rob said: “I can’t wait to recommend some of my fellow authors’ and illustrators’ events, particularly ones that celebrate the magic of creativity and the sheer joy of drawing.
“I just know that the children who come to the festival in 2023 are in for a real treat!”
He will be opening the festival on Friday 29th September for over 1,000 school children in Bath and North East Somerset, followed by a public event on Saturday 30th September.
Bath Children’s Literature Festival will be working with Tickets for Good and their Affordable Ticket Project, meaning that anyone who received a cost-of-living payment from the Government in the last 6 months can access free and affordably-priced tickets.
General booking for this year’s festival will open on 30th June.
Highlights of the 2023 festival include:
- Cressida Cowell: It’s the 20th Anniversary of worldwide sensation, How to Train Your Dragon! Come and celebrate with her at a book event that dives into the world of Hiccup and Toothless. She’ll also be staying on to introduce a special film screening at the Little Theatre Cinema, Bath.
- Hear all about the brilliantly passionate and instantly loveable Rocket and her latest adventures, from award-winning author and illustrator Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola. This time she’s organising a peaceful protest to save her local library in Speak Up.
- Sir Lenny Henry joins the Bath Children’s Literature Festival for the first time with his fun-filled event about his brilliant, action-packed middle grade books, The Boy With Wings and The Book of Legends and Clash of the Super Kids. Sir Lenny’s new book, Clash of the Super Kids, sees the return of Tunde Wilkinson, an ordinary boy who happens to also be a winged superhero.
- Join Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and two of his much-admired fellow poets – Joshua Seigal and Nikita Gill – as they perform a selection of their favourite poems from each others’ collections that explore a whole range of themes from the hilarious to the heartfelt and the emotional to the empowering.
- Award-winning historian, author and broadcaster Tom Holland presents his thrilling, accessible retelling of the Persian Wars mashed together with tales from Greek Mythology, The Wolf Girl, The Greeks and the Gods. Join Tom as he chats to bestselling author Maz Evans about his work and inspirations.
- You’re Dead to Me podcaster and historian Greg Jenner brings his first children’s book, You Are History, to Bath to share the fascinating history behind ordinary objects you see every day. Mind-boggling tales from the past guaranteed from the historical consultant to the BAFTA award-winning CBBC comedy series Horrible Histories.
