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Annual Festival of Children’s Literature (2016-2024)

The Festival of Children’s Literature (otherwise known as Story Days) at Kestle Barton is an important event in our annual programme calendar. As a centre for contemporary arts we aim to educate and promote the arts for the benefit of the public, and to foster an appreciation of the arts. This is an event designed to further local childrens’ enjoyment of books and support the literacy programme of The Lizard primary schools (years 4 – 6).

The Festival of Children’s Literature usually takes place in May, and over the years has become a closed event specifically for the primary schools on The Lizard: Coverack, Manaccan, St. Keverne, Landewednack, Grade Ruan, Garras and Mullion. For two days of the year, Kestle Barton hosts over two hundred primary school students, and attending staff. They are sheltered from the rain and sun by colourful tents in our orchard and meadow, and make full run of the garden and open spaces.

The heart of our Festival is working with authors who have great reputations for excellence in children’s writing and illustrating, but also in presenting to children.  We scour the nation for the best in these skills. Below is a list, by year, of our participating authors to date.

During the Story Days the children have a unique opportunity to spend the day in an alternative learning environment with the participating authors/illustrators who are there to excite the children about reading, writing, illustrating, and who can role-model and inspire career pathways for the future.

Each year, The Lizard primary schools are given the authors’ recent publications in advance of the Story Days so that everyone can familiarise themselves with the authors, and their work, before they actually meet. This gives teachers an opportunity to prepare for the visit and build excitement in their classes.

Head teachers agree on the value and write to tell us. One wrote,  The impact of this day is not limited to the day itself but spreads across the year and years afterwards. It has impressed upon me the importance of children engaging with writers (new, new to them or much-loved)  and has become a key part of our focus on reading as a whole school.

On the actual Story Days we have subsidised books for sale by the authors, who then eat their lunch while signing hundreds of books for their eager new fans.

Over the years the Festival of Children’s Literature has been generously supported by Arts Council England, the Cornwall Community Foundation and in 2024 the Grade Ruan Parish Council.

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2024

Nick Arnold

Justyn Edwards

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

 

Special thanks to Grade Ruan Parish Council, who have donated generously to this year’s Festival.

2023

Fleur Hitchcock

Jenny McLachlan

Alex Wharton

Supported by Cornwall Community Foundation

2022

Adam Baron

John Dougherty

Mossy Crow

Supported by Cornwall Community Foundation

2021

Kirsty Applebaum

M.G. Leonard

Nicola Skinner

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

2019

Robert Crowther

Lisa Evans

Ross Montgomery

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

2018

Steven Butler

Steven Lenton

Mossy Crow

Helen Peters

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

2017

Theo Carter-Webb

Mary Evans (aka Maz)

Polly Ho-Yen

Elizabeth Howell

M.G. Leonard

Judy Scrimshaw

Story Republicans

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

2016

Theo Carter-Webb

Mary Evans (aka Maz)

Chris Higgins

Christopher William Hill

Judy Scrimshaw

Story Republicans

Piers Torday

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

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