Tag Archives: Reading for Pleasure

Jamie Thomson at the Bookchat Roadshow!

Helping parents and carers encourage their children’s reading and creative writing for pleasure.

Completing our fantastic author panel at the Bookchat Roadshow is none other than the Dark Lord’s minion himself, the brilliant Jamie Thomson!

Supporter of the Book Activist since it’s launch in 2015, Jamie delighted the audience with his dark humour and tales of boyhood reading at the inaugural Roadshow last year. I’m so pleased he will be joining us again to inspire – and scare! mmwwahhhhh! – more parents and carers into encouraging their children’s reading and creative writing.

Jamie has a diverse background in writing having created stories in many forms from computer games to gamebooks to comics to novels. His book The Dark Lord: The Teenage Years won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and his most recent instalment Dark Lord: The Headmaster of Doom was released in February this year.

Jamie’s insight into working as an author and in the creative industries will be hugely helpful to parents and carers looking to encourage their children’s creativity.

The Bookchat Roadshow is an event designed especially for parents and carers bringing together authors, industry experts and people passionate about children’s reading and writing for pleasure. With inspirational talks and an author panel bookchat, plus a selection of exhibitors, we give parents and carers a huge range of ideas to help them support their children. The next event takes place on 20th July 2017 at Harlands Primary School, Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Read all about our last event here.

For more information about the Bookchat Roadshow visit www.thebookactivist.com.

Jenny McLachlan at the Bookchat Roadshow!

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Helping parents and carers encourage their children’s reading and creative writing for pleasure.

The delightful Jenny McLachlan will be participating in the Bookchat Roadshow!

Jenny is the author of the gorgeous Stargazing for Beginners and the brilliant Ladybirdz series for teens. Her books have been hugely popular for their warmth, wit, romance and fierce friendships. I am so pleased that she will be sharing her inspiration with parents and carers at the Roadshow! Jenny is well placed to share her experiences with parents and carers having worked as a teacher prior to becoming an author.

Jenny taught English to secondary and sixth form pupils and also as an Advanced Skills Teacher, delivered masterclasses to pupils, parents and teachers throughout the country. She will be participating in the author panel bookchat and sharing her thoughts on reading and creative writing. Jenny says:

“I’m thrilled to be participating in the Roadshow and meeting parents and carers to talk about the wonderful world of reading. When I was a teacher, I saw first hand the hugely positive impact reading has on the lives of children and young people. Reading is empowering, encourages empathy and provides a calm oasis in what can be a chaotic world. A love of reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child which is why I’m so excited to be taking part in the Bookchat Roadshow.”

For more information about the Bookchat Roadshow, visit www.thebookactivist.com.

A.F. Harrold at the Bookchat Roadshow!

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Helping parents and carers encourage their children’s reading and creative writing for pleasure.

The brilliant poet, performer and writer of children’s fiction A.F. Harrold is joining the line-up at the Bookchat Roadshow!

This event is especially for parents and carers to help them encourage their children’s reading and creative writing, and I am so excited A. F. Harrold is going to share his amazing imagination with all those attending.

He has written numerous wonderful books for children including the Fizzlebert Stump (illustrated by Sarah Horne) series – a particular favourite of mine to read aloud in the library! The first Fizzlebert Stump book was chosen as 2017’s Young City Reads book in Brighton and Hove. He has also written thought-provoking books such as The Imaginary (illustrated by Emily Gravett, longlisted for both the Carnegie and Greenaway Awards 2016)) and The Song From Somewhere Else (illustrated by Levi Pinfold). His children’s poetry collection, Things You Find In A Poet’s Beard is illustrated by Chris Riddell. His new book, Greta Zargo and the Death Robots from Outer Space (illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton) comes out in September.

A.F. Harrold will be participating in the author panel bookchat and sharing his experiences as a writer and thoughts on reading and creativity – and maybe even a line of a poem or two!! He says:

“I’m very pleased to be taking part in the Roadshow, because I like to read and I liked to read when I was younger too, and sometimes it’s nice to share those things that make you happy. In this day and age the empathy and other-person’s-shoe-ness that reading, both fiction and non-fiction, can help nurture and grow inside a human heart cannot be a bad thing to encourage, so let’s encourage it.”

For more information about the Bookchat Roadshow visit www.thebookactivist.com.

Nikki Sheehan at the Bookchat Roadshow!

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Helping parents and carers encourage their children’s reading and creative writing for pleasure.

I’m so excited to tell you that the wonderful Nikki Sheehan is participating in the Bookchat Roadshow on 20th July 2017!

Nikki is author of Swan Boy, recently nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017 and Who Framed Klaris Cliff ?. Her next novel Goodnight Boy, is due to be published in July and is already receiving critical acclaim. (Watch this space for a review – I’ve read it and it’s amazing!).

Nikki will be talking to parents and carers attending the Roadshow about her work as an author and as someone who regularly supports and encourages children’s creative writing through workshops in schools across the region. Nikki has worked with Little Green Pi g, a writing and mentoring charity for young people and she will also be participating in the author panel bookchat. Nikki says:

“I’m so excited to be taking part in the Bookchat Roadshow! As a reader, writer and story mentor with Little Green Pig, I’m very aware of the miracles that can happen when you allow children to take ownership of their reading and writing. There’s nothing better than the look on a child’s face when they realise that there really are no limits to the worlds they can explore and create, and as parents, teachers and librarians it really is within our power to help them to access to their own wildest imaginings.”

Nikki took part in our inaugural Roadshow and I’m delighted she is going to be presenting to parents at our latest event. She is always inspiring, great fun and full of ideas and I am sure all those attending the Roadshow will truly benefit from her knowledge.

For more information about the Bookchat Roadshow, visit www.thebookactivist.com.

Through the mirror door….with Sarah Baker

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YA Shot is a Young Adult and Middle Grade festival run by authors, raising money and resources to run a year-long programme pairing libraries and schools for free author events. The aim is to foster a love of reading, inspire a passion for writing, and encourage aspirations to careers in the Arts. I’m really pleased to have been invited to host this stop on the tour featuring debut author Sarah Baker! AND.. if you check out my Twitter account (@bookactivist1) you’ll see there’s a fantastic giveaway to win one of FIVE signed copies of Sarah’s debut novel, Through the Mirror Door. Simply follow and RT to win! (UK only). Thank you to Catnip/Bounce for supporting this giveaway. Continue reading →