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| Children's Events |
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| Those attending events in venues at Christ Church
- other than in the Marquee - are advised to allow 5 minutes to get
from the Festival entrance or the Marquee to the event. |
|
| Monday 31st March |
|
128 PHILIP PULLMAN |
| Once Upon a Time in the North |
Monday 31st March, 7.00 pm
Town Hall (Main Hall), St Aldate’s £15.00 (£10.00
for children) |
| We
are extremely proud to launch a new and completely original episode
from Philip Pullman’s bestselling His Dark Materials. Once
Upon a Time in the North is a companion volume to Lyra’s Oxford
(though about double the length of that story) and set in Lyra Belacqua’s
world before Lyra was born. It is the story of the tough American
balloonist Lee Scoresby and the great armoured bear and Lyra’s
guardian, Lorek Byrnison. The book recounts the very first meeting
of these two heroes – Lee Scoresby and his hare daemon, Hester,
crash land their trading balloon on to Novy Odense, a port in the
far Arctic North, and so find themselves right in the middle of
a political powder keg that threatens to explode into a street-fight.
Honour is at stake and Lee is not a man to duck a matter of honour.
|
|
| Tuesday 1st April |
|
099 RAND RUSSELL |
| Storytelling |
Tuesday 1st April, 11.00 am
Music Room, Christ Church
£2.00
30 minutes. Ages 3 + |
| Rhymes, mysteries and maths are delivered by skilled and experienced
storyteller Rand Russell, who launched the Storybeing Project five
years ago after a 30-year career as an arts educator. His design work,
featured in solo exhibitions and collections in the USA and Europe,
contributes to the visual aspects of his mesmerising performances.
|
|
100 RAND RUSSELL |
| Storytelling |
Tuesday 1st April, 1.30 pm
Music Room, Christ Church
£2.00
30 minutes. Ages 3 + |
| Rhymes, mysteries and maths are delivered by skilled and experienced
storyteller Rand Russell, who launched the Storybeing Project five
years ago after a 30-year career as an arts educator. His design work,
featured in solo exhibitions and collections in the USA and Europe,
contributes to the visual aspects of his mesmerising performances.
|
|
| Wednesday 2nd April |
|
059 CHARLIE HIGSON |
| Hurricane Gold |
Wednesday 2nd April, 4.30 pm
Marquee, Christ Church £6.00
10 years + |
| Writer and comedian Charlie Higson has brought Bond to life
for a whole new younger generation through his fantastic Young Bond
series. With four titles already out and one due for late 2008,
the centenary year of Ian Fleming's creation is full of exciting
prospects for James Bond fans. Focusing on the current title Hurricane
Gold, a fast-paced adventure set in the wilderness of Mexico, Charlie
Higson will entertain young and old alike with his fantastic knowledge
of the world's most famous secret agent.
|
|
| Thursday 3rd April |
|
125 RAND RUSSELL |
| Storytelling |
Thursday 3rd April, 10.30 am
Music Room, Christ Church
£2.00
30 minutes. Ages 3 + |
| Rhymes, mysteries and maths are delivered by skilled and experienced
storyteller Rand Russell, who launched the Storybeing Project five
years ago after a 30-year career as an arts educator. His design work,
featured in solo exhibitions and collections in the USA and Europe,
contributes to the visual aspects of his mesmerising performances.
|
|
125 RAND RUSSELL |
| Storytelling |
Thursday 3rd April, 12.00 pm
Music Room, Christ Church
£2.00
30 minutes. Ages 3 + |
| Rhymes, mysteries and maths are delivered by skilled and experienced
storyteller Rand Russell, who launched the Storybeing Project five
years ago after a 30-year career as an arts educator. His design work,
featured in solo exhibitions and collections in the USA and Europe,
contributes to the visual aspects of his mesmerising performances.
|
|
100 JOANNE HARRIS |
| Runemarks |
Thursday 3rd April, 4.30 pm
Festival Room 2, Christ Church £5.00
12 years + |
‘Seven
o clock on a Monday morning, five hundred years after the end of the
world, and goblins had been at the cellar again….’ Come
with Joanne Harris, author of the bestselling Chocolat, as she embarks
in her first book for children on an epic romp into the heart of the
old Norse tales: wild, dangerous, richly inventive and superbly imaginative. |
|
218 Alphabet Aloud! |
| |
Thursday 3rd April, 5.00 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £price tbc |
| Children love to play – and so do adults, if they’ll
only admit it. Words are toys and language is a huge adventure playground
of climbing frames, sand-pits, slides and rides. We present a lively
and unusual look at the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, led
by writers Marcus Moore and Sara-Jane Arbury. From ABC to XYZ, this
expressive performance of characters, cartoons and cameos follows
all-action workshops at Cowley library in February and March and
completes a unique project. Remember: an alphabet a day keeps the
scholar at play.
For 10 – 13 year olds
In association with Oxfordshire County Libraries |
|
102 SHARON DOGAR and JOANNA KENRICK |
| Waves and Screwed |
Thursday 3rd April, 6.30 pm
Festival Room 1, Christ Church
£4.50
13 years + |
| Joanna Kenrick’s books are explicit, and deal with hard-hitting,
emotional issues such as self-harm, racial bullying and teenage pregnancy.
Her new novel, Screwed, follows the story of a 15-year-old girl caught
up in a pattern of promiscuous behaviour. Waves is Sharon Dogar’s
debut novel, and has received huge critical acclaim. Dogar’s
approach to teen writing is gentler, but equally powerful. Together
with children’s book specialist Julia Eccleshare, these two
Oxford writers will consider their very different approaches to writing.
How explicit should teen fiction be? And how should writers tackle
the big issues relevant to today’s teenagers? |
|
| Friday 4th April |
|
103 BABY BOOKWORMS |
| |
Friday 4th April, 11.00 am
Music Room, Christ Church £2.00
3-9 months, with parent/carer. Ticket required for parent/carer only.
|
Have you ever wondered when to introduce your baby to a book?
The answer is probably sooner than you think. The youngest of babies
can enjoy exploring texture, shape and sound and this interactive
session from Ladybird is a fun-filled demonstration that allows
parents and babies to enjoy together. Giveaways will include a free
ladybird bug and a CD with songs and rhymes.
Numbers limited to 10 adults with babies, so book early to avoid
disappointment. |
|
105 LADYBIRD TALES |
| The Gingerbread Man |
Friday 4th April, 12.00 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £2.00
Suitable for 3-7 year olds. |
| Once upon a time... Come and listen to a traditional fairy tale
from Ladybird Books in this magical storytelling session, which is
sure to captivate young listeners. Enjoy the excitement of a much-loved,
interactive, classic story, which parents will love as much as their
children.
Giveaways to include a Ladybird headband, gingerbread and stickers.
|
|
104 BABY BOOKWORMS |
| |
Friday 4th April, 2.30 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £2.00
3-9 months, with parent/carer. Ticket required for parent/carer only.
|
Have you ever wondered when to introduce your baby to a book?
The answer is probably sooner than you think. The youngest of babies
can enjoy exploring texture, shape and sound and this interactive
session from Ladybird is a fun-filled demonstration that allows
parents and babies to enjoy together. Giveaways will include a free
ladybird bug and a CD with songs and rhymes.
Numbers limited to 10 adults with babies, so book early to avoid
disappointment. |
|
106 LADYBIRD TALES |
| The Gingerbread Man |
Friday 4th April, 4.00 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £2.00
Suitable for 3-7 year olds. |
| Once upon a time... Come and listen to a traditional fairy tale
from Ladybird Books in this magical storytelling session, which is
sure to captivate young listeners. Enjoy the excitement of a much-loved,
interactive, classic story, which parents will love as much as their
children.
Giveaways to include a Ladybird headband, gingerbread and stickers.
|
|
071 DAVID ALMOND |
| My Dad’s a Birdman |
Friday 4th April, 4.00 pm
Marquee, Christ Church £6.00
8 years + |
| Take to the skies with master storyteller David Almond as he introduces
his brand new book for younger readers, My Dad’s a Birdman,
a funny, tender tale of the relationship between a father and daughter.
David will also be discussing his award-winning older fiction, including
Skellig, The Fire-eaters and Clay. |
|
| Saturday 5th April |
|
| BOOK SWAP TIPI |
Ages 0 – 12
Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April 9.30 am – 5.30p.m. |
| Help us celebrate the National Year of Reading with a visit
to the Book Swap Tipi in the Master’s Garden, Christ Church.
Bring along a book that you’ve enjoyed but finished with,
leave it for someone new to enjoy and take away a different book
that has been loved by someone else.
Supported by White Horse Tipi Village Holidays 07767 303673
|
|
110 JUSTIN RICHARDS |
| The Chaos Code / The Death Collector |
Saturday 5th April, 10.00 am
Festival Room 2, Christ Church £4.00
11 years + |
| Join Justin to find out where he gets the ideas for his fantastical
adventure stories – whether he's devising the quest for Atlantis,
organising a battle against steam-driven dinosaurs, or working as
author and Creative Consultant on the BBC's series of Doctor Who
books. Discover the truth behind The Chaos Code and get a sneak
preview of his sequel to The Death Collector as Justin returns to
the mysteries and dangers of Victorian London for The Parliament
of Blood. |
|
107 ANDY STANTON |
| Mr Gum and the Power Crystals |
Saturday 5th April, 11.00 am
Town Hall (Main Hall), St Aldate’s £4.00
7 years + |
| Come and laugh out loud with Andy Stanton, winner of a Richard &
Judy Book Club Award and creator of the hilarious Mr Gum books. Following
his sell-out success at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Andy is here
to introduce you to his outrageous and eccentric characters: an angry
bathtub fairy, a billionaire gingerbread man with electric muscles
and, of course, the horrible, mean and stinky old man, Mr Gum. |
|
109 MEG ROSOFF |
| What I Was |
Saturday 5th April, 11.00 am
Town Hall (Long Room), St Aldate’s £5.50
12 years + |
| Meg Rosoff is one of the most exciting authors of the moment, and
a writer who is enjoyed by both teenage and adult readers. Winner
of the Guardian Fiction Prize and the Carnegie Medal, she talks here
about her latest, What I Was, discusses what inspired her to give
up a career in advertising to become a writer, and explores the themes
of love, loss and life in her three fascinating novels. |
|
113 PETER RABBIT PUPPET SHOW |
| |
Saturday 5th April, 11.00 am
Music Room, Christ Church £2.50
45 minutes. 4-7 years |
| Hop along to this charming interactive puppet show that brings
The Tale of Peter Rabbit to life. Help Peter escape from Mr McGregor's
garden, and join in the celebrations for Jemima Puddle Duck’s
centenary this year. Giveaways to include Jemima stickers, bunny
ears and bookmarks! |
|
112 CHRIS RIDDELL and PAUL STEWART |
| The Edge Chronicles and Barnaby Grimes |
Saturday 5th April, 12.00 pm
Newman Rooms, St Aldate’s £4.50
10 years + |
| Take your imagination to the very limit with the co-creators of
the bestselling Edge Chronicles! Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell will
be here to talk about their new series, Barnaby Grimes, and their
latest book, Barnaby Grimes – The Return of the Emerald Skull.
|
|
115 SHAUN THE SHEEP |
| Storytelling and Activities |
Saturday 5th April, 12.30 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £3.00
5 – 8 years. |
| Meet one of the stars of the Aardman animation series and find out
about his latest adventures in new books published by Egmont. Whether
he’s painting, organising a takeaway, or trying to keep the
sheep out of trouble with the farmer, Shaun is leader of the flock!
Bring your own little lambs along for an hour of stories, activities
and the chance to meet Shaun. |
|
108 DR WHO QUIZ |
| |
Saturday 5th April, 1.30 pm
Town Hall (Main Hall), St Aldate’s £4.50 (Double Ticket
for both Dr Who events £9.00)
45 minutes. Family Event (7 years +) |
Materialise at this very special Doctor Who Quiz or miss out
on the chance to win some fantastic prizes! Quizmaster Nicholas
Briggs, the voice of the Daleks and Cybermen, will ensure a fantastic
afternoon of fun and adventure. It’s a rare opportunity to
meet a truly evil special guest – a real, live Dalek. Watch
out, though – if your quiz answers aren’t up to standard
you will be…exterminated! Come dressed up as your favourite
Doctor Who character – spot prizes will be awarded.
£9.00 if you book at the same time for both this and Writing
Dr Who, event no: 127. |
|
035 MATT AND DAVE |
| Yuck’s Abominable Burp Blaster |
Saturday 5th April, 2.00 pm
Festival Room 2, Christ Church £3.50
Ages 7 + |
| Yuck is a brilliantly disgusting series about a naughty little boy
and his antics. The latest book, Yuck’s Abominable Burp Blaster,
is no exception. Come and meet authors Matt and Dave, as they deliver
laugh-out-loud gags, bucket-loads of mischief and wildly imaginative
schemes to stay out of trouble that will have you in stitches. With
Yucky goody bags to take home for all! |
|
116 SHAUN THE SHEEP |
| Storytelling and Activities |
Saturday 5th April, 2.00 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £3.00
5 – 8 years. |
| Meet one of the stars of the Aardman animation series and find out
about his latest adventures in new books published by Egmont. Whether
he’s painting, organising a takeaway, or trying to keep the
sheep out of trouble with the farmer, Shaun is leader of the flock!
Bring your own little lambs along for an hour of stories, activities
and the chance to meet Shaun. |
|
127 WRITING DR WHO |
| |
Saturday 5th April, 2.45 pm
Town Hall (Main Hall), St Aldate’s £6.00 (Double Ticket
for both Dr Who events £9.00)
10 years + |
Accompanying the current Doctor Who BBC TV series is a successful
range of tie-in novels – brand new and original adventures featuring
the Doctor written by some of the best writers around. This is a rare
chance to hear five of these Doctor Who experts talk about how they
write for the last of the Timelords. Join Terrance Dicks, Justin Richards,
Mike Tucker, Colin Brake and Steve Cole for an afternoon of fascinating
insights into everyone’s favourite time-traveller. £9.00
if you book at the same time for both this and the Dr Who Quiz, event
no: 108. |
|
114 WHERE’S SPOT? |
| |
Saturday 5th April, 3.30 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £2.50
45 minutes, 3-5 years. |
| Where’s Spot? Have you seen him? Come along and join in the
fun with this storytelling session featuring games, dancing, plus
a chance to meet the world’s most lovable puppy.
Giveaways to include bookmarks and a mini Spot board book for everyone!
|
|
118 DUGALD STEER |
| The Mythology Show |
Saturday 5th April, 4.15 pm
Town Hall (Long Room), St Aldate’s £4.00
7 years + |
| Mythology is the latest in the best-selling Ology series by Dugald
Steer, a hugely popular author who has now sold over 12 million books
worldwide. Come and see this amazing collection of gods, heroes, monsters
and mythical beasts from ancient Greece brought to life before your
eyes in this interactive show. A totally unmissable extravaganza!
|
|
| Sunday 6th April |
|
122 PIPPI LONGSTOCKING PARTY |
| Activities and stories |
Sunday 6th April, 11.00 am
Music Room, Christ Church £3.50
7-11 years |
Come
and meet Pippi and make your very own Pippi stocking! Pippi Longstocking
is coming to Oxford with her friend Mr Nilsson, and would love to
see you at her party – there'll be lots of things to make and
do; Pippi herself will read a story from the new edition of Pippi
Longstocking, illustrated by Lauren Child; plus you can make your
very own Pippi “stocking”. Pippi will pick her favourite
stocking at the end of the party and the winner will get a special
prize! Craft materials will be supplied.
Sponsored by Oxford
University Press |
|
117 SHIRLEY HUGHES |
| Activities and stories |
Sunday 6th April, 11.00 am
Town Hall (Long Room), St Aldate’s £5.00 |
| National treasure and acclaimed illustrator Shirley Hughes talks
about her work, including her much-loved picture-book character
Alfie, and the endearing story of Dogger, which was voted top in
a poll of award-winning picture books. Shirley will also give a
sneak preview of her forthcoming picture book, Jonodab, to be published
in the summer. This is a rare opportunity for families to see Shirley,
and gain insight into her work and life.
|
|
121 TONY DE SAULLES |
| Cartooning Workshop |
Sunday 6th April, 12.00 pm
Newman Rooms, St Aldate’s £4.50
8 years + |
| Tony De Saulles is the illustrator of the world’s bestselling
science books, Horrible Science, which have twice won the Junior Aventis
Science Prize and in 2008 are getting a stunning and suitably gruesome
new look. Come and find out from Tony how to draw dreadfully disgusting
body bits, incredible insects and corrosive chemicals in a truly Horrible
style. |
|
120 SARAH DYER |
| Clementine and Mungo |
Sunday 6th April, 12.00 pm
Festival Room 2, Christ Church £3.50
5-7 years |
| Sarah Dyer is an expert on both princesses and monsters. Clementine
becomes a bossy princess in Princess for a Day, while Five Little
Fiends cause havoc when they try to steal the sun, the moon, the land,
the sky and the sea! Come dressed as a princess or a monster for storytime,
and draw your own princesses or monsters, or even a monster princess!
An interactive and lively session for all little fiends out there!
|
|
095 MELVIN BURGESS AND KEVIN BROOKS |
| |
Sunday 6th April, 1.00 pm
Town Hall (Long Room), St Aldate’s £5.00
12 years + |
| Kevin Brooks and Melvin Burgess are two of the most respected names
in teen fiction. Melvin is well known for his approach to controversial
topics, including heroin addiction (in the Carnegie Medal winning
Junk) and teen sex (in Doing It). His most recent novel, Sara’s
Face, tackles the popular theme of celebrity and how far people will
go for fame. Kevin is known for writing subtly dark, award-winning
fiction, and his recent novel, Lucas, was selected by the Richard
and Judy Book Club. These two highly acclaimed authors discuss what
makes a good teen novel, the ways in which authors engage with teen
interests, and where the boundaries lie between child and adult fiction.
In conversation with writer, journalist and broadcaster Nicolette
Jones. |
|
123 JAMES CARTER |
| Time Travelling Underpants |
Sunday 6th April, 1.00 pm
Music Room, Christ Church £3.50
90 minutes, 7 years + |
| A madcap session from the quirkiest and liveliest poet and
guitarist in town! See James perform a range of wonderfully weird
and fantastically strange poems from his new collection, Time Travelling
Underpants. Come and discover that Mary didn’t have a little
lamb but a slug that came to a sticky ending! Talking of sticky
– did you know that Goldilocks was a dab hand at cooking porridge?
Perfect for 7-777 year olds. Why not bring along your own air guitar
and join in? |
|
081 DAVID MELLING & CHRIS MOULD |
| Goblins and Something Wickedly Wierd |
Sunday 6th April, 2.00 pm
Festival Room 2, Christ Church £4.50
7-10 years |
| Join David Melling, creator of the brand new series Goblins, and
Chris Mould of Something Wickedly Weird fame to learn more about their
unusual characters and the worlds in which they live. And as a special
treat, watch the masters in action as they show you how they illustrate
their own characters! |
|
119 POLLY DUNBAR |
| Penguin |
Sunday 6th April, 2.30pm
Town Hall (Long Room), St Aldate’s £3.50
4 years + |
| Can a penguin be the perfect present? Ben is delighted when he opens
a gift and finds a penguin inside. But it isn’t until a passing
lion intervenes that Penguin finally speaks...and when he does, Ben
discovers something that was really worth the wait. Come and join
award-winning author and illustrator Polly Dunbar, as she reads from
her charming new picture book, shortlisted for the Nestle Children's
Book Prize and winner of the Booktrust Early Years Award, in this
interactive session for young children. |
|
124 JAMES CARTER |
| Hey Little Bug! Poems for Little Creatures |
Sunday 6th April, 3.30pm
Music Room, Christ Church
£2.50
30 minutes. 2-6 years |
| A gentle, fun and interactive session with Oxfordshire poet and
guitarist James Carter. Action rhymes, music and poems aplenty full
of bugs, bubbles, puddles, pirates and journeys around the world.
|
|
082 BEN CORT |
| Aliens Love Underpants |
Sunday 6th April, 4.00 pm
Festival Room 2, Christ Church £3.50
Event no: 082
5 years + |
| You probably thought aliens came down to Earth to take over
the planet – but, no, they simply want to steal your pants!
This zany, hilarious tale – a Richard and Judy Book Club Winner
written by Claire Freedman – is delightfully brought to life
by its vibrant illustrations and is sure to enchant and amuse the
whole family. Come and meet the illustrator, Ben Cort, and help
him draw some wacky new aliens – in underpants, of course.
A fun, madcap event – you’ll laugh your pants off!
|
|
083 ANTHONY BROWNE |
| |
Sunday 6th April, 4.00 pm
Newman Rooms, St Aldate’s £5.00
6 years + |
| Join award-winning illustrator Anthony Browne, creator of Gorilla
and Willy the Wimp, for this hands-on and interactive session. Anthony
will talk about the Shape Game and how it has been part of his work
since he began creating picture books, and he will also share his
new book Silly Billy, an atmospheric exploration of childhood worries
and how to overcome them. One of the most popular and stylistically
distinctive children's book artists around, Anthony recently won
the highest international accolade for children's book illustration,
the Hans Christian Andersen Award, for his services to children's
literature. |
|
| The
Oxford Literary Festival would like to thank Oxford University Press
for their generous sponsorship and continued support.
Also thank you to the following children’s publishers for
their co-operation and support in putting together the 2008 programme:
BBC Children’s Books, Bloomsbury Children’s Books,
Chicken House Publishing Ltd, David Fickling Books, Egmont, Faber
& Faber Ltd, Frederick Warne & Co, Hachette Children’s
Books, Ladybird Books, Oxford University Press, Puffin Books, Random
House Children’s Books, Scholastic Ltd, Simon & Schuster
(UK), Templar Publishing, Walker Books
The Festival is also pleased to support Booktrust’s new campaign,
The Big Picture, a national promotion of picture books and illustrators,
and will be distributing its publicity material at all picture book
events. |