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July 25, 2008

Lynn Huggins-Cooper - Author Profile

Appearing:
Lit & Phil, Gala Day

Author Website
www.walkingwithwitches.co.uk
www.lynnhugginscooper.co.uk

Publisher
Tyne Bridge Publishing

I live on an organic smallholding near Durham with my husband and youngest daughter Eleanor. My two older children have homes nearby. Eleanor is home educated, and we spend a lot of our time writing together. She even has her own writing group called Stormwriters – so look out for her books soon!

What is the best thing about being an author?
Earning my living with my imagination! Getting to pore over lots of wonderful old books at the Literary and Philosophical Society and the Society of Antiquaries for fun and calling it ‘research.’ Getting up and only having to walk downstairs to start work. Being able to eat cake at my desk whenever I feel like it, and being able to take the cat to work.

Where do you get your ideas from?
The idea for Walking with Witches (Tyne Bridge Publishing) came from a newspaper article about the discovery of some bones in St. Andrew’s churchyard, Newcastle upon Tyne. They turned out to be from a 17th Century witch trial. My husband threw the paper to me and said, ‘Here’s your next book.’ He was right!

I got the idea for One Boy’s War (Frances Lincoln) when I heard about my husband’s great uncle Sydney, who died in the First World War when he was just seventeen years old. I went to the war memorial in Burnhope, County Durham and saw his name. That gave me the idea to write a story about him so people would remember the millions of people who died in WW1. Last year we went on a trip to France and Belgium, and visited Sydney’s grave. It was in a tiny cemetery on farmland. It was a peaceful place, and my daughter planted flowers on his grave.

What made you start writing?
Genes? My dad and sister are keen writers too. I grew up in a house filled with books. I spent all of my pocket money in Lanes second hand bookshop in Hove – I still have lots of the books I bought then. Ray Bradbury was my favourite author when I was young, and is still my favourite today. The stories had so many layers that they grew with me, and I find something new every time I read them. I think ‘The Halloween Tree’ is my favourite – maybe because my birthday is at Halloween!

What do you do when you are not writing?
Lots of gardening – we have 14 acres and grow organic food as well as keeping animals. I also run writing courses (www.writetime.org.uk) and tutor on the Writing for Children course for the London School of Journalism. I love to make crafts and I run craft courses (www.celebratetheseasons.co.uk) with my friend Nigel, who is also a writer and illustrator. He drew the wonderful artwork for Walking with Witches.

The thing is, hobbies and pastimes tend to turn into books! Having children led me to write books for adults about parenting , and living on a smallholding led me to write books about self sufficiency (Downshift to the Good Life and Organic Living, both for Infinite Ideas publishing). Enjoying crafts led me to write articles and books about craft too (Play, Laugh and Learn: Celebrate the Seasons for Carroll and Brown).

How many books have you written?
Over 230! I have written many ‘home learning’ books for publishers such as Letts – that’s where I started. I was a teacher, then a PGCE lecturer, and I answered an advertisement in the Times Educational Supplement for teachers to write books for Letts. Little did I know how many I’d end up writing! I even ended up with a column for new teachers in the Times Ed. itself.

Have you always been a writer?
Well, apart from being a writer, teacher and lecturer I have had lots of jobs. I have worked as a wildlife warden at a lighthouse, a barmaid, in a bail hostel and with young offenders. I like this job best though!

Recommended Reads

	Walking with Witches Tyne Bridge Publishing 9781857951288 Eleanor and her friends are on a trip to Newcastle, visiting the Literary and Philosophical Society. They see odd shadows and hear ghostly whispering voices – and an ancient book in a glass display case leafs open as they watch. Pages stop fluttering and the girls enter the world of a witch hanged on the town moor in 1650. After finding a witch's treasure, the girls find themselves pulled into a dangerous adventure, threatened by a dark and timeless evil. They follow the trail that the accused witches took around Newcastle, following clues and unravelling an ancient mystery. Read more at www.walkingwithwitches.co.uk
	One Boy's War Frances Lincoln 9781845075286 Sixteen-year-old Sydney is overwhelmed by the excitement of the 1914 recruitment campaigns and the bravado of men leaving for the Great War. Bursting with enthusiasm, he runs away to join up, but soon finds himself a long way from home in a frontline trench where reality - and the rats - begin to bite. Told through Sydney's optimistic letters home and his more realistic journal, this is his honest portrayal of the disillusionment and degradation of life and death in the trenches of World War I. Sydney was a real young man who lived in Burnhope, County Durham. You can read more about him at www.oneboyswar.co.uk
	Play, Laugh & Learn - Celebrate the Seasons Carroll & Brown 978-1903258682 Our memories of childhood follow the rhythms of the seasons - colouring hard-boiled eggs at Easter time, shell collecting and rock-pooling in the summer, carving fleshy pumpkins for Hallowe'en, and making glitter-spangled cards for Christmas. This book offers you a chance to build those memories with your own children. The essence of the passing seasons is savoured and captured with a variety of fun-filled indoor and outdoor projects - most created out of non-specialist and readily available materials. The activities have been designed to keep pace with your growing child's abilities and some will even provide precious mementoes of childhood that you will want to keep forever. All promote knowledge and a sense of discovery, whether of the natural world or a child's artistic and academic talents. These exercises also develop and extend fine motor skills and an aesthetic appreciation. Each activity is photographed step-by-step to help you achieve a pleasing and successful result every time. Find out more at: www.celebratetheseasons.co.uk

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Categories: Huggins-Cooper, Lynn

Rosalind Kerven - Author Profile

Appearing:
Lit & Phil, Gala Day

Author Website
www.grimgruesome.com

Publisher
Talking Stone

Rosalind Kerven has written over 50 children's books for many leading publishers, with co-editions and translations in 19 countries. February 2008 sees publication of the first title in her major, seven-part children's fiction series, GRIM GRUESOME Viking Villain: The Cursed Sword (see www.grimgruesome.com). Later in the year she is also bringing out a collection of English Fairy Tales and Legends for the National Trust."

Her most successful children's novels are Who Ever Heard of a Vegetarian Fox? (Puffin) which was shortlisted for The Children's Book Award, won a major award in Japan, was also translated into Dutch and Afrikaans and sold over 100,000 copies worldwide; and The Sea is Singing (Puffin) which was a TES Book of the Year and was dramatised several times on BBC Radio.

Rosalind has a specialist knowledge of world myths, legends and folk tales. Her retelling of King Arthur (Dorling Kindersley) was recommended by the American Library Association and has sold nearly a quarter of a million copies in the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Norway and Portugal as well as the UK. Aladdin and other Tales from the Arabian Nights (Dorling Kindersley) has enjoyed similar success in many countries. Earth Magic, Sky Magic (Native American stories), In the Court of the Jade Emperor (stories from old China) and The Rain Forest Story Book, all published by Cambridge University Press, were highly acclaimed by reviewers. The Woman Who Went to Fairyland (Blackie) was shortlisted for The Children's Book Award, and The Fairy Spotter's Handbook (Frances Lincoln) was one of that publisher's most successful titles for Christmas 2003. She was commissioned to write The Giant King (Norse myths) and Enchanted Kingdoms (Celtic myths) for the British Museum; and the souvenir book for a major British Library exhibition, The Mythical Quest. Her retellings feature in many school literacy schemes published by Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Ginn, Heinemann, Rigby and Scholastic.

She has written several non-fiction titles on subjects as diverse as animal rights, multi-cultural festivals and the Vikings; and also the text for the BBC Education Online website www.bbc.co.uk/education/vikings.

Rosalind has her own small publishing house, Talking Stone (named after a Native American myth about the origin of stories), which is producing the Grim Gruesome books, working with an innovative author-led publishing team of editor, designer and artist. Its list also includes Traditional Stories: A Practical Guide for People Sharing Books with Children, which was highly acclaimed in the educational press, and Northumberland Folk Tales, which quickly established itself as a best seller in the regional tourist market.

Rosalind grew up in London and has a degree in social anthropology from Hull University. She has lived in the Northumberland National Park since 1982. She has been a visiting story teller to many North East primary schools, Seven Stories and the Alnwick Garden: her retellings of world traditional tales hold children of all ages enthralled. For many years she has been the Children's Books Reviewer for The Northern Echo.

Recommended Reads

	The Cursed Sword - Grim Gruesome Viking Villain Talking Stone 978-0953745432 First in a thrilling historical fiction series about Grim Gruesome, spine-tingling, child-hating, tricksterish Viking villain. Astrid's mysterious uncle lends Bjarni a sword so he can join a pirate ship and win some treasure. The sword is carved with strange rune letters which turn out to be a dangerous curse. It plunges the children into a terrifying adventure - and straight into the clutches of the evil Grim Gruesome! Authentic yet fantastical, crammed with children's favourites: treasure, sword fights and pirates. Fast moving and written in a pity, immensely readable voice.
	English Fairy Tales and Legends National Trust 978-1905400652 Many people in England have little knowledge of genuine 'English' fairy tales. The stories that many of us grew up with are from overseas: for example "Snow White" is German, "Cinderella" is French and "Aladdin" is Arabian. But folk tales and legends are an intrinsic part of English national culture and the author has revived our best tales for a new generation of readers with 12 classic tales rewritten to engage readers.This terrific collection is a great introduction to the different types of traditional story and their place in English oral and written heritage. The 12 stories include tales of giants, dragons, fairies, beauty-and-the-beast, and Arthurian Romance. Each tale is linked with a specific place or county in England: for example, "The Dragon Castle" from Northumberland, "The Girl Snatched By Fairies" from County Durham, "The Princess and the Fool" from Kent and "The Dark Moon" from Lincolnshire.The second half of the book has notes on each story: where the history came from, its development and short summaries of many related or similar stories. It is a timely book on real English fairy tales, from tales of dragons to Robin Hood.
	Secret World of Magic Frances Lincoln 978-1845074814 At last - this is the definitive guide to magic and enchantment: featuring magic-makers, shape-changing and other important spells, wishes and charms, bewitching, magical travel, and secret worlds. In addition, the book includes traditional folk tales and details magic traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Norway, the Middle East, Africa, China, Japan, Korea and Native America.

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Categories: Kerven, Rosalind

July 21, 2008

Tyneside Cinema - Gala Day Event

Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema is joining in on the fun with an afternoon screening of Roald Dahl’s wickedly funny ‘The Witches’.

Tickets: £2.85 for 16 and under / £3.85 for over 16’s.

Advanced booking is recommended.
Pilgrim Street, Newcastle. Box Office: 0845 217 9909
Website: www.tynesidecinema.co.uk

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Categories: News

July 10, 2008

Jeremy Strong - Author Profile

Appearing:
Gala Day

Author Website
www.jeremystrong.co.uk

Publisher
Puffin: www.puffin.co.uk

Karate princesses, seasick pirates and demon vacuum cleaners... where else could these characters spring from but the playground that is the quirky imagination of Jeremy Strong?

Jeremy Strong talks about new character Krazy Kow, typing cats, and his love of cheese in our exclusive interview In the Spotlight.

THE BASICS
Born: Eltham, South East London, November 18th 1949
Jobs: Head Teacher, Teacher, Caretaker, Strawberry Picker, Jam Doughnut Stuffer (yes, really!)
Lives: Kent
First book: Smith's Tail, 1978

THE BOOKS
Jeremy Strong's work is characterised by humour and direct child appeal. He thinks his writing has been influenced most of all by Spike Milligan, but also by falling on his head when he was three years old. He was not allowed to read comics as a child, and consequently discovered The Beano at the formative age of sixteen. Jeremy Strong's ideas come from everywhere - his childhood, his children, over-hearing conversations, something he sees - and he constantly makes notes.

WHAT HE SAYS...
"My sense of humour got stuck at age ten."

"When I was about eighteen I started writing very serious stories for adults, but none of them was published. By the time I was twenty-one I was writing stories for children and I quickly realised that I loved writing funny stories and making people laugh."

"I have no axes to grind, and no neuroses to reveal. (At least, I don't think I have. You may think otherwise.)"

Recommended Reads

	The Battle for Christmas Puffin 9780141324630 When Ellie puts on her new pyjamas, strange things start to happen. She and her little brother, Max, are whisked off to the Christmas Shop where a battle is raging between a valiant troop of toys and the scaaaarry Christmas Tree Fairy and her army of angels. Can Ellie and Max save Christmas for the world – or will they be arrested for being mince spies? This is the first book in a new series about the Cosmic Pyjamas. They're magical and they're dangerous. You have been warned!
	Weird Puffin 9780141322025 Josh thinks Fizz is dentally challenged and fluent in gibberish. Fizz thinks Josh is the Prince of Handsomeness. They're destined to work together at Marigolds Old People's Home – can Cupid's arrow strike among the Zimmer frames? Throw in Josh's wacky mother with her goats on the sofa and Fizz's goddess-like big sis and one thing is certain. Things will get a LOT weirder before they start making sense – and can the oldies really make their great escape... using tablespoons? Being fourteen has never been so weird...
	Lost - The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour-Dog Puffin 9780141323251 Streaker the dog is lost. And not just a bit lost, but REALLY LOST! It wasn't even her fault! She wanted to protect some pies from the PIE ROBBER and suddenly she's miles from home and two-legged Trevor and she has to make friends with a cat. A CAT! But it gets a lot hairier when they find themselves face-to-face with a baboon ...For the first time ever, Streaker tells her incredible adventures in her own words - and very funny words they are too. Rowan Clifford's illustrations add to the chaotic fun.

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Categories: Strong, Jeremy

Julia Golding - Author Profile

Appearing
Gala Day

Author Website
www.juliagolding.co.uk/

Publisher
Egmont Children's Books

My journey to becoming an author has been a roundabout one, taking in many other careers. I grew up on the edge of Epping Forest and was that dreamy kind of child who was always writing stories. After reading English at Cambridge, I decided to find out as much as I could about the wider world so joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland. My work as a diplomat took me from the high point of town twinning in the Tatra Mountains to the low of inspecting the bottom of a Silesian coal mine.

On leaving Poland, I exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. I then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of conflict on civilians living in war zones - a cause I still feel very passionate about and about which you can learn more if you follow the links on this page.

Married with three children, I now live in Oxford between two rivers, surrounded by gargoyles, beautiful sandstone buildings and ancient trees.

My first novel, 'The Diamond of Drury Lane', won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2006 and the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006(formerly known as the Smarties Prize). I was also chosen by Waterstone's in 2007 as one of their 'Twenty-five authors for the future'.

Recommended Reads

	Empty Quarter Egmont Books 978-1405228190 Expats, espionage and exotic destinations. "Empty Quarter" is gripping - you won't be able to put it down.Darcie's stuck aboard a cruise ship for problem rich kids. It sounds exotic but it's more like boot camp. And, annoyingly the US President's daughter with her reputation for being out-of-control is there too.Things are about to get interesting though...Darcie becomes embroiled in a kidnapping plot that will take her from Naples, via Cyprus, to Egypt and on a terrifying journey through the desert empty quarter.It is an adventure-thriller starring Darcie Lock.
	The Ship Between The Worlds OUP 978-0192754837 David Jones loves ships, particularly ships in bottles. His latest, the Golden Needle, is a fine pirate vessel. So when David wakes up to find himself being press-ganged on board, he assumes it's a dream. The only thing is, he isn't asleep. The Golden Needle is crewed by a motley assortment of fiendish pirates, led by the once-terrifying Captain Fisher. The only thing they have in common is the desire to atone for past misdeeds, and a lot of gold thread. Now, trying to be good, they are desperately attempting to stitch together the many worlds - including our own - that are sliding towards obliteration in Inferno Rim. But not every pirate in this new dimension is good. Some still have a yearning for gold. In hot pursuit of the Golden Needle is the Scythe, crewed by pirates who live only to steal the golden thread anchoring the worlds. Soon the Golden Needle will run out of time and golden thread - and then her crew will have to turn and face the Scythe. What will David do when the day of battle dawns? Who will win this fight to the death? If it is the Scythe, who will save the worlds? A swashbuckling adventure to shiver yer timbers!
	Black Heart of Jamaica Egmont Books 978-1405237574 Following the multi award-winning "The Diamond of Drury Lane", here we present the fifth volume from our famous feisty heroine "Cat Royal...Black Heart of Jamaica".In which the indomitable Cat Royal turns pirate, undertakes a Caribbean Cruise and gets mixed up in a slave revolt. Prepare to swash your buckle in Cat's most outrageous adventure yet!

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Categories: Golding, Julia

July 9, 2008

Nick Butterworth - Author Profile

Appearing
Gala Day :: BOOK SIGNING SESSION ONLY

Publisher
HarperCollins

NICK BUTTERWORTH was born in Kingsbury, North London in 1946.

When Nick was aged three, his parents moved to Romford in Essex and took on the running of a sweet shop. Having intended to go to art college after leaving school, Nick decided instead to take a job as a typographic designer in the printing department of the National Children's Home. He went on to work for several major London design consultancies before moving into freelance graphics in partnership with Mick Inkpen.

The two produced more than thirty highly acclaimed children's books together. Nick's first picture book, B.B. BLACKSHEEP AND COMPANY, was published in 1981, and this let to him producing a regular illustrated story called Upney Junction for The Sunday Express colour magazine. He also worked as a television presenter on the TV-AM children's programme, Rub-a-Dub-Tud.

Nick Butterworth works from his studio at his home in Suffolk, where he keeps every single illustration he has ever done.

His most famous creation is Percy the Park Keeper and the first story, ONE SNOWY NIGHT, was published in 1989. Since then Nick has written over five Percy the Park keeper stories as well as some new books featuring Percy and individual animal friends, and his books have been acclaimed as children's classics.

The Percy the Park Keeper books have achieved outstanding success and popularity around the world. They have sold over four million copies and been translated into fifteen languages, and mark Nick out as one of the most popular and talented author/illustrators in children's books today

Recommended Reads

	Jackdaw Summer HarperCollins 978-0007257744 Second title about adorable new toddler character, from the creator of Percy the Park Keeper Tiger the kitten has lots of friends!usually. It isn't hard for Tiger to find someone to play with!usually. But one day, when everything is covered in a chilly white blanket of snow, Tiger's friends are too cold or too busy to go out and he has to play by himself. Until he finds something very unusual buried in the snow!
	Just Like Jasper Hodder 978-0340945100 Large, simple text and vivid, clear illustrations that give the little ones plenty to find and talk about, combine to make this engaging tale of the adorable, cute, cuddly and just a little bit cheeky Jasper on his hunt for the perfect toy, a real treat. A great character and a simple idea that will undoubtedly enchant children.
	One Snowy Night HarperCollins 978-0007259427 Great value special edition hardback of children's picture book classic, 'One Snowy Night' with FULL LENGTH DVD animation feature film! Percy the Park Keeper always feeds the animals in the park where he lives. But one cold winter's night Percy discovers that his little friends need more than food and he must find a way to help them find a warm place to sleep for the night. Percy's hut is nice and warm but Percy discovers that if you invite one animal in you'll have to invite them all in and his hut is only small -- it's certainly going to be a squash!

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Categories: Butterworth, Nick

David Almond - Author Profile

Appearing
Gala Day

Author Website
www.davidalmond.com/

Publisher
Hodder Children's Books

I was born in Newcastle and I grew up in a big Catholic family in Felling-on-Tyne. I had four sisters and a brother and lots of relatives in the streets nearby. My dad had been in Burma during the war. He and my mum married in the late 40s. Dad became an office manager in an engineering factory. Mum was a shorthand typist until she had the children. We moved several times when I was a child, but always within Felling.

Felling had been a coal mining town, but by the time I remember anything the pits were all closed. The river at the foot of the town was lined with warehouses and shipyards. At the summit was a wild area we called the Heather Hills. I loved playing football in the fields above the town, camping out with my friends, messing about with my grandfather in his allotment. I was an altar boy, and I still know snatches of the Latin mass by heart. I loved our local library, and dreamed of seeing my books on its shelves one day. Favourite books as a child/teenager included the tales of King Arthur and his knights, the books of T. Lobsang Rampa, and Hemingway's stories. I also used to read my sisters' Enid Blytons. I always knew that I wanted to be a writer. One of my uncles had a small printing works. My mum said that she used to take me there as a baby and I used to laugh and point at the printed pages coming off the rollers - so maybe I began to fall in love with print when I was just a few months old.

I went to primary schools in Felling and Sunderland - both of which I liked. I went to grammar school in Hebburn - which I disliked. To the surprise of some people (eg a few teachers and especially my headmaster) I went on to the University of East Anglia and did a degree in English and American Literature. After stints as a hotel porter, postman and labourer, I trained to be a teacher. It seemed the perfect job for a writer: short hours, long holidays, what more could I want? How wrong I was. I wasn't just exhausted by it, I also found it fascinating, and I learned a huge amount. I worked five years in a primary school on a large estate in Gateshead.

While I was there, my first short stories began to be published in little magazines. I needed more time to write, so I resigned and sold my house. I went to live in a commune based in a dilapidated mansion in a beautiful part of Norfolk. I lived for a year and a half on a few hundred pounds and wrote my first decent stories there. When my money ran out, I found a job writing booklets for an adult literacy scheme. This led to my final teaching job, in a school for children with learning difficulties.

My first book for young people, Skellig, was published in 1998. Before that, many short stories had appeared in magazines and anthologies, and were broadcast on Radio 4. Two collections of my stories for adults, Sleepless Nights (1985) and A Kind of Heaven (1997), were put out by IRON Press, a small North Eastern publisher. I was editor of the fiction magazine 'Panurge' from 1987-93. I wrote a novel called Seances that took five years to write and was rejected by every publisher in the country. Then Skellig came along. It seemed to come out of the blue, as if it had been waiting a long time to be told. At times seemed to write itself. Since Skellig, I've written several more children's novels: Kit's Wilderness, Heaven Eyes, Secret Heart, The Fire-Eaters, and Clay; and a collection of stories based on my childhood, Counting Stars. My first picture book, Kate, the Cat and the Moon, illustrated by the wonderful Stephen Lambert, came out in 2004. I also write for the theatre. My first children's play, Wild Girl, Wild Boy toured the UK in 2001. My stage adaptation of Skellig was produced at The Young Vic in 2003, alongside my play for younger children, My Dad's a Birdman. Heaven Eyes was premiered at The Edinburgh Fringe in 2005.

I live with my family in Northumberland. We live just beyond the Roman Wall, which for centuries marked the place where civilisation ended and the waste lands began.

Recommended Reads

	Jackdaw Summer Hodder 978-0340881989 Every summer Liam and Max roam the wild countryside of Northumberland  but this year things are different. One hot summers day a jackdaw leads the two boys into an ancient farm house where they find a baby, wrapped in a blanket, with a scribbled note pinned to it: PLESE LOOK AFTER HER RITE. THIS IS A CHILDE OF GOD. And so begins Jackdaw Summer. A summer when friendships are tested. A summer when lines between good and bad are blurred. A summer that Liam will never forget
	Clay Hodder 978-0340773857 With fascination, Davie and his friend Geordie watch the arrival of a new boy, Stephen Rose, in their town. He seems to have come from nowhere, and when he arrives to live with his distant aunt, the local 'loony', 'Crazy Mary', no one envies his new home. But perhaps he's the answer to Davie and Geordie's prayers - a secret weapon in their war against monstrous Mouldy and his gang Intrigued, Davie and Geordie befriend Stephen. But they are heading innocently down a path that brings with it a monster of an entirely unexpected nature. Their encounter with the mysterious Stephen is as incredible as it is menacing, and as the true story of Stephen's past slowly emerges, Davie's life is changed forever.
	Skellig Hodder 978-0340944950 When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital. But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes for ever ...

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Categories: Almond, David

July 7, 2008

A Potted History of The Northern Children's Book Festival

Origins of the Festival
The Northern Children's Book Festival (NCBF) has been held every year since 1984. It began when a group of children's librarians and English teachers came together to discuss ways in which we could bring children's authors to schools in the North East by sharing costs. We approached publishers to pay authors' train fares and put up the authors in our spare rooms. With the help of a gift of £500 (a very generous sum when you consider the equivalent costs we face today) from Catherine Cookson we paid each author a fee of £40 per day. Most authors did 3 or 4 days in various schools and libraries. We drove them from school to library, lunched them, fought for cups of coffee in the staff rooms and sold books to the children who came to the sessions. At the end of our first short week of 4 days we held a Gala Day with 5 or 6 authors in Newcastle's Eldon Square Leisure Centre, talking to visitors and signing books that we sold at the venue.

Recent Years
From 6 Local Authorities we grew to 12 covering the whole North East area. We now pay authors a fee of £250 per day plus VAT where chargeable. Publishers still pay train fares and also hotel bills, although some authors still prefer to stay B+B with "friends of the Festival". Local Authorities pay towards the costs of authors visiting schools in their areas. Some schools pay direct and some get funding from their education budget.

We are now a registered charity (No. 1013065) and our Gala Day is funded in a different way. It is a free event and is open to the general public. It is very much a family event who bring their children to meet authors and stay for the whole day, buying books, taking part in book related activities and the various other activities going on around them during the day. In the past Gala Day has been funded by varying forms of sponsorship. The Library Book Supplies subsidised us for several years, supplying the books we sold at the Gala Day. We had funding for 3 years from the Northern Rock Foundation. More recently we have had funding from smaller trusts and also from the Arts Council.

Plans for 2008
This year's Gala Day theme reflects the Year of Reading Theme for the month of November - Screen Reads. Each Local Authority will design an activity around a filmed book. So far we have Gateshead with Kipling's "Jungle Book", Newcastle - Dr Who, South Tyneside - Peter Pan, North Tyneside - Paddington Bear and Sunderland - Charlotte's Web.

The venue is Newcastle Civic Centre, an ideal central location and we hope to attract over 5000 visitors.

Benefits of the Festival
We find that children and parents enjoy the author sessions they attend and are encouraged to read more, discuss what they have read and do creative writing themselves. Teachers in schools find that they can use the ideas generated at sessions and build upon the author's visit. The Librarians who drive the authors to venues enjoy meeting them and become more familiar with their books. The authors themselves enjoy meeting their public and get creative stimulus and ideas from the children. We are convinced that the benefit of author sessions is enormous. Parents at Gala Day are aware of what a rich culture of children's books exists and our bookshop does very well. Children go home with a signed copy by an author they have met - a book to treasure.

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Categories: About NCBF

July 4, 2008

Go for Gold with North Tyneside's Team Read

This summer, children from all over North Tyneside are being challenged to read and get active by joining Team Read at their local library.

Team Read is North Tyneside Libraries 10th annual Summer Reading Challenge and all children are invited to take part. The Summer Reading Challenge organised by the Reading Agency, is encouraging children to make the most of the long summer break by reading and keeping active by paying a visit to their local library.

Continue reading "Go for Gold with North Tyneside's Team Read"

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Categories: News

June 29, 2008

From Tyne to Seine and back again...

Watch this space for ongoing news on an exciting Anglo-French reading project involving schools in South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Epinay in France. Authors Rob Lewis and Korky Paul will work with the children in our local schools and will then visit schools in Epinay. The work will be mirrored by counterparts in France. Expect some interesting multi-media outcomes from this work. Children from North and South Tyneside schools will be visiting Gateshead CLC to create audio/video/animation content to contribute to the forthcoming project website: www.tyne2seine.org

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Categories: News