Cheltenham Literature for Schools 2023: Home Educators pack

Cheltenham Literature Festival for Schools

Programme 2023

This year’s Festival kicks off with four creative webinars in September before we welcome you to our Festival Village on Montpellier Gardens.

For primary-aged children, celebrate 10 years of Storm Whale with Benji Davies, journey back in time with historical fiction authors, Phil Earle and Lesley Parr, go on a fantastical new adventure with Jamie Littler, celebrate picture books and poetry with former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen and fight for justice under the Mumbai sun with Varsha Shah

For secondary-aged children, we’ve got a fantastic line-up of writers, illustrators, poets and industry professionals for you including Chie Kutsuwada and Julian Sedgwick , Manjeet Mann, Tanya Landman, Laura Dockrill, Caleb Azumah Nelson and poets Harry Baker and Anthony Joseph.

Between our ticketed events put your investigative skills to the test with author M.G. Leonard ’s mystery trail.

See you at the Festival!

Rebecca Smith

Learning and Participation Manager

Loraine Evans

Family and Schools Programme Manager

Look out for these icons throughout the brochure

We’ve included the retail price of books featured in the programme for children who would like to buy copies for author signings at the Waterstones Bookshop.*

Workshop events

This event will be BSL interpreted.

With thanks to the following publishers for their support: Andersen Press, Barrington Stoke, Bloomsbury, Bonnier, Chicken House, David Fickling Books, Faber, Farshore, Flying Eye, Guppy Books, Hachette Children’s Group, Harpercollins, Little Tiger, Nosy Crow, Old Barn Books, Otter-Barry Books, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Simon and Schuster, and Walker Books.

* This brochure is correct at time of publication, but book prices may be subject to change.

TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER

FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER

LS07: Anna James

FRIDAY 6 OCTOBER

MONDAY 9 OCTOBER

TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER

LS06: Gavin Puckett and Allen Fatimaharan

LS03: Rob Biddulph

LS24: Alastair Chisholm

LS26: The Brothers McLeod

LS27: Janelle McCurdy

LS25: Natasha Farrant

LS09: Jamie

THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER

LS11: Chae Strathie

LS13: Dom Conlon and AF Harrold

LS17: Phil Earle and Lesley Parr

LS48: Joshua Seigal

LS18: Tanya Landman

LS12: Joe Todd-Stanton

LS49: Sara Barnard and Tia Fisher

FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER

LS40: The Write Job

LS08: Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Littler

LS29: Thomas Taylor

LS16: Sophy Henn

LS05: Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola

LS01: Manjeet Mann

LS02: Michael Rosen

LS10: Pamela Butchart

LS30: A.F. Steadman

LS33: Varsha Shah

LS41: Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada

LS14: Zanib Mian

LS35: Harry Baker

LS34: Anthony Joseph

LS15: Benji Davies

LS23: Helen Rutter

LS04: Kate Wakeling

Free Activities

Look out for our free activities and pop-up events in The Wild Wood in the Festival Village.

The Twitchers Whodunnit Mystery Trail

Find the clues and solve the mystery! M. G. Leonard author of the Twitchers mystery series (Twitch, Spark and Clutch) has set a challenge. Pick up a trail sheet and follow the posters around The Wild Wood to work out whodunnit.

Best day ever. Can I buy more than one book?

Pupil

Waterstones Bookshop

Bring your children along to the Waterstones Children’s Bookshop at the heart of the Festival Village to meet their favourite authors, have books signed and browse the bookshelves for the latest releases and firm favourites in this pop-up tent completely dedicated to young readers.

Pre-Festival Webinars

Work with a Festival author in your home in our Zoom workshops.

Participation will be limited to 20 groups. Full details on how to take part will be sent on booking.

19 September, 11am – 12pm LS24

Alastair Chisholm: Writing Fantasy

Zoom Webinar

AGES 7-8

£40 per group

Follow award-winning author Alastair Chisholm into the magical land of Draconis for an exciting workshop based on his fantasy series Dragon Storm. Learn about the weird and wonderful dragon myths from around our world, how to draw dragons, and how to give them dragon names. Help Alastair create a brand-new dragon and choose its special dragon powers.

£6.99

21 September, 11am – 12pm LS27

Janelle McCurdy: Creating Creatures

Zoom Webinar

AGES 9-10

£40 per group

Discover how to harness your own superpowers with fantasy author Janelle McCurdy. Learn how to write stories inspired by video games, films and more. Find out about the latest novel in the Umbra Tales series Mia and the Traitor of Nubis and hone your umbra-taming abilities by creating your very own umbra.

£7.99

20 September, 11am – 12pm LS26

The Brothers McLeod: Creating Comics

Zoom Webinar

AGES 8-9

£40 per group

Join The Brothers McLeod – author, poet, screenwriter Myles and animator, illustrator and director Greg – the creators of the hilarious Knight Sir Louis series. Join Myles and Greg to create your own knight character before writing a comedy adventure for your character in a workshop packed with comics, drawing and lots of laughs.

£7.99

22 September, 11am – 12pm LS25

Natasha Farrant: Protest Writing

Zoom Webinar

AGES 10-11

£40 per group

How far would you go to protect the world you love? Costa Award-winning author Natasha Farrant’s new book The Rescue of Ravenwood is a beautiful, soulful and exciting story about conservation and guarding the extraordinary nature that surrounds us. Natasha will introduce pupils to the themes in the book and lead them through a fun, persuasive creative writing activity inspired by the characters’ climactic eco-protest.

£7.99

Image: Dujonna Gift-Simms

10 – 11am LS07

Anna James: Pages & Co

The Garden Theatre

AGES 8-10

£7 per child

Go bookwandering with author Anna James as she presents her magical adventure series Pages & Co. Hear about her love of books, how she builds new worlds and writes her favourite book characters into her stories. Brimming with creativity, ideas and tips to help young writers and readers find inspiration in their own lives, this is a lively event to celebrate the conclusion of the series.

Hardback £12.99. Paperback £7.99

Gavin Puckett and Allen Fatimaharan: Blanksy the Street Cat

The Hive

AGES 5-7

£7 per child

Enjoy a spectacular session of art-tastic fun with comedy writer Gavin Puckett and World Book Day illustrator Allen Fatimaharan as they present their new heart-warming story about Blanksy the Cat who uses his creative talents to help his friend Pete the Busker become rich. But will money really make Pete happy? An event full of hilarious read-alouds, sing-alongs, interactive games, and the chance to create your very own Blanksy the Street Cat

£7.99

Creativity, ideas and tips to help young writers and readers find inspiration in their own lives.

11.30am – 12.30pm

Jamie Littler:

Arkspire

The Times and The Sunday Times Forum

AGES 8-10

£7 per child

Welcome to Arkspire, a city of powerful magic, twists, turns, tricksters and secrets. Jamie Littler, author and illustrator of Frostheart, introduces his brand-new hilarious and astonishingly illustrated series. Hear how Jamie builds his fantasy worlds and brings a cast of brilliant characters to life with a behind-the-scenes look at his illustration process and early sketches. There will be live drawing, draw-alongs and top tips on creating your own imaginary city.

£7.99

12 – 1pm LS29

Thomas Taylor: Eerie-on-Sea Mysteries

The Garden Theatre

AGES 9-11

£7 per child

Join master of monsters, magic and mystery Thomas Taylor on a tour of the marvellous world of Eerie-on-Sea. With the help of his travelling trunk of trinkets, this author and illustrator shares the inspiration behind his book series and how his imagination grew the fictional town. You’ll also learn why he set the story in a hotel and how to create a sense of intrigue and suspense in your writing.

£7.99

12 – 12.50pm LS16

Sophy Henn: Lifesize Animals

The Hive

AGES 4-6

£7 per child

How do you measure up against some of the world’s most amazing animals? Step into the pages of author and illustrator Sophy Henn’s playful picture book series featuring Lifesize illustrations of some of the world’s smallest and largest animals. Take part in the animal challenges, learn some incredible facts and draw along with Sophy in this fun, interactive event.

£8.99

Image: Charlotte Knee Photography

Rob Biddulph: The Blue-Footed Booby

The Garden Theatre

AGES 4-7

£7 per child

Come along for a fun-packed picture-book session with award-winning author and illustrator Rob Biddulph. With live drawing and storytelling, Rob brings to life many of his stories and characters including The Blue Footed Booby and his new character Gigantic, a small whale with a big heart. Have your pencils and paper ready for one of Rob’s famous draw-alongs.

Hardback £12.99. Paperback £7.99

11.45am – 12.35pm

LS05

Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola: Speak Up!

The Hive

AGES 4-6

£7 per child

Embark on a mission with World Book Day author and illustrator Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola as they bring Rocket’s adventures to life. Hear about young activist Rocket and her latest mission to save her local library by organising a peaceful protest. Take part in the draw-along and pick up some top tips for story writing and speaking up about things that matter.

£7.99

1.15 – 2.05pm

Kate Wakeling: A Dinosaur at the Bus Stop

The Hive AGES 5-7

£7 per child

LS04

Get ready to hear (probably) the fastest poem in the world, solve some brain-tickling mini-beast riddles, bob like a robin and hop aboard the friendliest steam train in town. Bursting with fun and imagination, this playful session with CLiPPA Prize poet Kate Wakeling has lots of opportunities for children to join in, get creative and feel inspired as Kate performs poems from her beautifully crafted new collection for younger children.

£8.99

Top tips for story writing and speaking up about things that matter.

Image: Tim Lane

11.45am – 12.45pm

Manjeet Mann: Run Rebel

The Garden Theatre

AGES 11-14

£7 per child

Actress, playwright, screenwriter and director Manjeet Mann talks with Daniel Hahn about Run, Rebel (UKLA book award winner) a verse novel about a young woman trapped by her family and her fears, and The Crossing, a profound tale about the tragedies of the refugee crisis. Manjeet shares insights into her writing career and delves into the challenges and joys of adapting a novel into a play.

£8.99

Full Festival Programme

Our Family, Young Adult and Adult programme is announced in August. Look out for the Festival programme and come along with your family and friends.

1.30 – 2.30pm LS23

Helen Rutter: The Funniest Boy in the World

The Garden Theatre

AGES 9-11

£7 per pupil

Do you have what it takes to be a comedian? Author Helen Rutter introduces The Funniest Boy in the World, the sequel to her debut book The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh about a young, aspiring comedian navigating the world of comedy and school with a stammer. Helen will talk about where ideas come from to help inspire children to write their own funny stories.

£7.99

Tuesday 10 October

Chae Strathie: So You Think You’ve Got it Bad? A Kid’s Life as a Viking

The Garden Theatre

AGES 7-9

£7 per child

Would you like to share your bedroom with farm animals, eat extremely watery porridge or spend years on a raid? No? Then you’ll be glad you don’t live in the Viking age. Step into the past with award-winning author Chae Strathie for a must-see event for kids with a passion for horrible history. A hilarious introduction to Viking times packed with songs, dancing, drawing and fascinating (sometimes gross) facts.

Hardback £12.99. Paperback £8.99

Dom Conlon and A.F. Harrold: Welcome to Wild Town

The Hive

AGES 7-9

£7 per child

Do you dare to explore Wild Town? Embark on an exciting poetry adventure with celebrated poets Dom Conlon and A.F. Harrold. In Wild Town nothing’s locked inside a cage, danger leaps off from the page and wild is a fact of life. Create animal poems of your own and let your imagination run wild.

10.15 – 11.15am

LS13

LS11

A must-see event for kids with a passion for horrible history.

12 – 1pm LS02

Michael Rosen: Poems and Stories

The Times and The Sunday Times Forum

AGES 5-7

£7 per pupil

Michael Rosen is one of the nation’s best-loved children’s writers and performers whose contemporary classics such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Jelly Boots, Smelly Boots have delighted children for generations. Join the former Children’s Laureate to celebrate his newest picture books The Big Dreaming, I am Hungry and Not-So-Little Red Riding Hood, along with poems and humour.

Hardback £12.99

Paperback £7.99

12 – 1pm LS10

Pamela Butchart: There’s a Beast in the Basement!

The Garden Theatre

AGES 7-9

£7 per child

Come quick, there’s a beast in the basement! In Blue Peter award-winning author

Pamela Butchart’s hilarious new book, Izzy and her friends just know there’s treasure buried under the school but when they go looking for it, they find something shocking that changes everything… Join Pamela and Izzy and get involved with the gang’s super-secret mission to discover the truth. Enjoy some seriously silly stories and find out how to make up your own.

£7.99

18 – 30 Spark Membership

Ignite your curiosity with our FREE 18 – 30 Spark Membership.

✓ Priority booking

✓ 50% discount on walk up tickets one hour before the event

cheltenhamfestivals.com/ membership

Image: David Levene

Image: Still Moving Media

Joshua Seigal: Who Let the Words Out?

The Garden Theatre

AGES 8-11

£7 per child

Enter a world of creative word-play with winner of the Laugh Out Loud Awards, poet and educator Joshua Seigal as he performs poems full of raucous humour, creativity and wit from his latest collection Who Let the Words Out?

Let your imagination run wild as words take on whole new meanings in this interactive event where you’ll take part in a unique word-play writing challenge.

Paperback £7.99

Phil Earle and Lesley Parr: History and Mystery

The Times and The Sunday Times Forum

AGES 9-12

£7 per child

Phil Earle and Lesley Parr share the creative inspirations behind their fictional historical novels with author Candy Gourlay

While Phil’s third WW2 novel is told through the eyes of a stray dog, Lesley’s new mystery is set in 1974 during the miners’ strikes. Together they discuss their research processes and talk about their personal paths into writing.

£7.99

12 – 1pm LS30

A.F. Steadman: The World of Skandar

The Garden Theatre

AGES 9-12

£7 per child

Immerse yourself in the world of Skandar with ferocious unicorns, unlikely heroes, sky battles, ancient secrets and nail-biting races with Waterstones’ Children’s Book of the Year 2022 winner A.F. Steadman Follow her writing journey, from scribbling stories in notebooks to building incredible new worlds and the challenges of crafting a series. You’ll also get the chance to find out your elemental magic.

Hardback £12.99 Paperback £7.99

12 – 1pm

LS33

Varsha Shah: Ajay and the Jaipur Moon

The Hive AGES 9-11

£7 per child

Hot off the press! Meet author Varsha Shah as she introduces Ajay, a young news reporter living on the Mumbai railways, fighting for justice in modern day India with the help of his friends. Uncover the inspiration behind her crew of determined characters, learn about newspapers and how to design your own and get tips and tools to create your own adventure stories.

£7.99

Image: Ajeet Prabu and Sidney Sarpong

The children loved meeting the authors and seeing just how possible it is for someone to become a writer.

10 – 11am

Joe Todd-Stanton: Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc

The Hive

AGES 7-9

£7

LS12

10 – 11am

Tanya Landman: Gothic Greats

The Garden Theatre

AGES 11-14

£7 per pupil

LS18

Delve into Ancient Aztec mythology with award-winning author and illustrator Joe Todd-Stanton. Discover incredible gods and creatures from Tlaloques to giant leopard frogs as you journey with Luna and Atzi, overcoming many terrifying obstacles along the way. Draw-along with Joe and fill a cave with your own mythological creations in this exciting journey back in time.

Hardback £12.99.

Paperback £8.99

Delve into the gothic traditions and tropes of three classics, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein with Carnegie Medal-winning author Tanya Landman Discover how she navigated editing and re-writing them into much shorter but equally powerful retellings and leave with tips and tools to create your own gothic stories.

£7.99

12 – 1pm

Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada: Tokyo Ghost Café

The Garden Theatre

AGES 11-14

£8

Journey east with Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada, the creators of the Carnegie Medal shortlisted Tsunami Girl. Together they introduce their new collaboration, 100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café inspired by Julian’s life-long passion for Japanese culture and history and interwoven with Chie’s incredible Manga illustrations. Understand their unique partnership, the inspiration behind their books and enjoy a live Manga art demonstration with Chie.

£9.99

OECD, 2010

12 – 1pm

Zanib Mian: The Cookie Culprit

The Hive AGES 7-9

£7

Put your sleuthing skills to the test with mystery author Zanib Mian and Meet the Maliks Twin Detectives. Maysa and Musa might be twins, but they are total opposites and together they make an unstoppable team. Join Zanib for some detective roleplay, uncover the secrets behind writing a good mystery and like all good detectives have your questions ready for the author.

£6.99

Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success.

LS41

LS14

Image: Still Moving Media

Friday 13 October

10 – 11am

The Write Job

VOICEBOX

AGES 16-18

£7 per pupil

Is writing the right job for you? Podcast developer, marketer and producer Clarissa Pabi is joined by Laura Dockrill (author, illustrator and performance poet), Caleb Azumah Nelson (novelist and photographer) and author Josh Silver to talk about their love of books and writing, being published, how to develop your own writing and the opportunities they see for young people in the world of the written and spoken word.

£7.99

Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre: Adventuremice

The Garden Theatre AGES 5-7

£7

Looking for adventure? Join co-author legends Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre as they introduce you to a tiny mouse named Pedro who sets off to see the world and meets the brave and daring Adventuremice! Does he have what it takes to join their team, and help protect the Mouse Islands whenever danger looms? Learn how to draw Pedro, hear more about his adventures, and join a discovery tour of the Mouse Islands.

10 – 11am

Sara Barnard and Tia Fisher: Writing YA

The Hive AGES 14-16

£7

Young Adult Book Prize winner Sara Barnard and YA debut author Tia Fisher talk with author Simon James Green about why they chose to write about tough topics, like grief, toxic fame and county lines, how they create hopeful and resilient characters and explore their own creative processes and journey when it comes to writing and being published.

£7.99-£8.99

£6.99

LS40

LS49

10 – 11am

LS08

Image: Emiliano Atzori

12 – 12.50pm

Benji Davies: Storm Whale

The Garden Theatre

AGES 4-7

£7

What would you do if you found a little whale washed up on the beach? Join author and illustrator Benji Davies for a lively morning of story readings and live drawing as he presents his new book The Great Storm Whale and celebrates 10 years of his classic picture book, The Storm Whale. Discover where Benji gets his story ideas from and join in the live audience draw along.

Hardback £12.99. Paperback £7.99

12 – 1pm

Harry Baker: Poetry Masterclass

Story Shack

AGES 14-16

£7

World Poetry Slam Champion and maths graduate Harry Baker offers a unique insight into the life of a working, touring poet in this Unashamed masterclass. Celebrating his love of language and logic, Harry performs poems from his latest collection and talks about the joy of finding wonder in your surroundings and searching for connections.

£9.99

12 – 1pm

Anthony Joseph: Poetry Masterclass

VOICEBOX

AGES 16-18

£7

Poet, musician and T S Eliot Prize winner Anthony Joseph explores the classical elements of the sonnet and shows how contemporary poets can make it their own. Through explorative exercises and discussion, students will discover the ways in which the sonnet comments on a universal human experience, while allowing for their own creative and individual approaches.

£9.99

Opportunities

for young people in the world of written and spoken word.

Image: Naomi Woddis

How Do I Book Tickets?

Booking opens at 8am on Tuesday 13 June 2023

Complete the booking form HERE

Prices*

(unless otherwise stated)

Events £7 per child.

Webinars £40 per group

Tickets for accompanying adults are free.

*A £3 booking fee will be added to the total cost of your order. Terms and conditions apply.

What happens next?

1 We will review your booking form and be in touch to discuss alternative options if any of your choices are not available.

2 You will receive a formal booking confirmation via email. Further details will be sent for webinar bookings.

3 When you have paid for your tickets, you will receive a ticket document, a site map and an information document with important details about your visit.

Further information about your visit

Visit our website for full details about arriving, parking, getting to venues and more, you will also find FAQs, our cancellation policy and advice for preparing a risk assessment here.

Discover our Family Programme with lots of free events taking place over the weekends to be announced on 16 August 2023.

Literature for Schools contacts

If you would like to contact a member of the Learning and Participation Team, please email education@cheltenhamfestivals.com

Rose Wood rose.wood@cheltenhamfestivals.com

Rebecca Smith

rebecca.smith@cheltenhamfestivals.com