The
Manchester Children’s Book Festival team are working with partner organisations
to put together a year-long round programme of activities for readers of all
ages. October was a busy month: North Korean writer and activist Sungju
Lee appeared at Manchester Literature Festival (MLF) and also visited schools
to inspire young people with his story of survival; George Kirk joined us in
our MCBF Story Tent at the MLF Family Reading Day and we joined Mcr Central
Library for the Reading Hack #LoveReading #ReadManchester event, featuring
Samantha Shannon.
November and
December are looking even busier. Last week, we took Children’s Laureate
Chris Riddell out to talk to pupils from 4 local schools as part of the
BookTrust Laureate tour and we are now planning ahead for 3 Saturday events in
November and December.
WHAT’S
COMING UP IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Details about
a few things happening over the next two months for families are listed
below.
For
younger readers/families:
·
Our MCBF Storytelling
tent will be out again at the Whitworth Art Gallery’s ‘Frost Fair’ on Saturday
3rd December. Come and join us in our cosy tent for stories
between 11.30 and 5pm. The Frost Fair is free and runs all weekend, check
manchester.ac.uk/whitworth for info.
· The Z-Arts ‘Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake
and Bad Things’ interactive exhibition runs through until 17th
December but book early if you want to go along http://www.z-arts.org/18846-2/
·
Our last MCBF outing
before Christmas will take place on December 17th at Longsight
Library and the Islamic Centre on Stockport Road. Join families from
Stanley Grove and 5 other local schools between 1-5.30pm for an afternoon of
all things poetry, storytelling, art, crafting and the stars. Visit the Star
Lab, Man Met Uni’s inflatable planetarium in the Islamic Centre and visit our
friends from the Manchester Museum and Jodrell bank. There will be poetry
from Dom Conlon and, from 4.30pm, a lantern parade around the streets from
4.30pm, finishing with free hot chocolate for everyone. Free.
Everyone welcome.
For teachers / home educators / pupils:
·
Royal Society of Chemistry John Leach Memorial Lecture. The Poetry
of Science. In this interactive lecture, Dr Sam Illingworth explores the
often fractious relationship between science and poetry through the ages.
As well as highlighting the many similarities between the two fields, and
outlining how the two can work together in tandem to solve the
interdisciplinary problems of our age, there will also be the opportunity for
you to write your own poetry and to discover for yourself just how much these
two apparently different disciplines actually have in common. Pupils are
invited for a free lunch before the lecture, and following this will be an
awards ceremony for the university John Leach and Edward Howell prize to two of
our current students. We hope that pupils will be inspired by the lecture
and award ceremony to pursue interest in the sciences. We have 80 places
available for schools, with up to 40 places per school available. Please
contact c.marks@mmu.ac.uk if you are
interested. Date 7th December 2016 12-3pm. Free.
·
TV
presenter Katie Thistleton is inviting young readers (aged 10-16) to help
contribute to a new book that will be published by Orion Children's Books, part
of the Hachette Children's Group in the summer of 2017.
Katie is an ambassador
for the mental health charity, Mind. Her book, 'Dear Katie' will aim to explore
the challenges children and teens face as they grow up. Young readers are
invited to submit their problems to Katie in a letter format. Details for this
project can be found at www.dearkatie.co.uk
If you are a teacher or
librarian working in a school in the Manchester area, Katie is keen to talk to
pupils aged between 10 and 13 about the project and to encourage them to
contribute letters. If you would like to host a talk between now and Christmas
please contact k.tew@mmu.ac.uk for further
information.
·
Looking forward to next year but one to save in your diaries for next
year. On Wednesday 5th July from 4.30-7pm, MCBF will be
hosting a Creative Learning teacher networking event. Featuring stalls and
presentations which will showcase the educational offers of most of our
cultural partners and also offering some CPD taster sessions in a range of
subject areas for primary teachers through to post-16, this event will be a
great opportunity to network and comes just in time for summer planning.
All that and wine … Save the date in your diaries for now and let colleagues
know.
MCBF are
often approached by publishers looking to put authors into schools. These
visits are usually free, though the publishers request that, in return for the
visit, schools promote the opportunity to buy books to pupils and/or purchase
copies for the school library. Feedback from teachers and librarians who
have hosted author events shows that, when a school has an author visit, books
by the author featured are always in high demand and use of the library is
boosted. These offers are always advertised via our Facebook and Twitter
platforms, so follow or sign up to make sure you’re kept up to date.
That is it
from us until after the Christmas break now. Follow MCBF on Facebook and
Twitter @MCBFestival to make sure you get the news as it develops. Or
sign up to our mailing list via the website.
With very
best wishes for a restful and peaceful Christmas break.
Kaye
Tew
Manchester
Children’s Book Festival Director,
@MCBFestival
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