The line-up for a new six-day kids’ literary festival in Herne Hill has been announced.
Running from Tuesday, February 4 to Sunday, February 9, the event will see poetry, performance, storytelling and an open mic night.
Former children’s laureate and award-winning author and illustrator Chris Riddell and his daughter Katy Riddell, will be headlining on Saturday afternoon, running a life drawing and talking stories session.
Other highlights include Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids author Sibéal Pounder, who will be helping readers create characters and new worlds of their own; a musical puppetry adaption of Michael Morpurgo’s Mimi and the Mountain Dragon; and a teen reading panel with award-winning writer Nicola Morgan.
The series of events is a collaboration between the Herne Hill Forum, Children’s Writers and Illustrators for Stories and Literacy, and bookshop Tales on Moon Lane, and partly funded by Thames Water’s compensation after the 2013 Herne Hill flood.
Tamara Mcfarlane, the author and owner of Tales on Moon Lane, said she hoped this year’s event is the first of many. “We were one of the businesses worst hit by the flood,” she explained.
“This children’s literary festival has been many years in the making and will put the area firmly on the map as a thriving destination for children’s literacy, publishing and storytelling.”
All events must be booked in advance on a “pay what you can” basis.
For the full line-up and to purchase, visit www.stationhallhernehill.org/stepping-into-stories