THE WOKINGHAM Children’s Book Festival is returning this weekend with a variety of events for all ages.
The two-day event is in it’s fourth year, and will be taking over the town hall, with in-person and virtual events.
Nine authors will be sharing their tales, hand-picked by children’s librarian Elizabeth McDonald.
The young people and families outreach manager has helped coordinate the event, working across the borough’s libraries.
Ms McDonald said there is a good selection of authors from all backgrounds, as well as a poet and an illustrator, who will also be talking about their work in the literary world.
She hopes children across the borough will see themselves in the books chosen, which also cover family make-ups and climate change.
The festival has been in the works since the start of the year, and Ms McDonald said she is happy to be bringing a range of in-person and virtual events.
“This year, the in-person events you can also watch from home as we will be live-streaming them,” she said. “Having online talks also opens the opportunity to feature authors from around the world.”
One of those is Swapna Haddow, who will be tuning in from New Zealand to talk about the first book in her brand-new series, Bad Panda.
“It’s great Swapna can join us and inspire the children,” Ms McDonald added.
She hopes the event will encourage the joy and love for reading in children.
“We want to spark their imagination,” she said. “The more you read, the more you learn about things.”
She said the focus this year was to bring as much fun as possible, after a bleak year and a half.
The talk from Annabelle Sami, author of Llama Out Loud and Llama on a Mission, promises laughs, Ms McDonald said.
Ms Sami will also run an interactive choose your own adventure writing activity during the session, where the audience will help to plan a break into the top-secret Llama Headquarters.
Other authors at the event include Benjamin Dean, who will be discussing London Me My Dad and the End of the Rainbow – his debut with LGBTQ+ themes of love and family.
Best-selling author Holly Webb will be exploring themes around environmentalism and friendship. She will be talking about her Earth Friends books and explaining how small changes can make a big difference.
Winner of the Blue Peter Best Story Award and bestselling author Kieran Larwood, will be talking about The Five Realms: Uki and the Ghostburrow. It is his sixth book, set in the world of Podkin One-Ear, which sees Uki and his companions attempt to save rabbit kind from destruction.
Poet Joshua Seigal, winner of the 2020 LOLLIES, will be sharing poetry from his brand new collection Yapping Away.
Hannah Lee will be hosting a fun-filled and interactive event around her new picture book, The Rapping Princess. Children can learn more about fairy tales and the perfect ingredients to writing their own rap.
And Krina Patel-Sage will be reading from her book My Mindful A to Zen, as well as hosting a mindfulness activity.
For more information, or to book tickets, visit: wokingham-tc.gov.uk/bookfest