Free event in London: Haringey Children’s Literature Festival

Announcing a wonderful free event for children in London… Haringey Children’s Literature Festival kicks off this Saturday morning with a host of authors and illustrators talking about their new books on THE Stage, as well as workshops, a Story Telling Tent featuring some of London’s best story tellers, and a live production of ‘Aliens Love Underpants’ by Handprint Theatre for deaf and hearing audiences.

Also, find out what Story Bunting is in the Word Play Area, and have a go on the Giant Word Search! Comedy writer Annie Caulfield, will kick-start the day with a talk about her sassy Katie Milk Solves Crimes books, and the library’s new Reading Garden will also be officially opened to the public on the day! The festival will continue throughout the week with some more fantastic authors, illustrators and story tellers appearing in libraries throughout Haringey (for invited school classes only.)

More about the Children’s Literature Festival

Haringey Children’s Literature Festival, in affiliation with Catnip Publishing, promotes children’s literacy by creating a fun, stimulating and cultural event, accessible to all, for FREE!!!

There will be a whole week of great events, with the festival being launched on Saturday 10th September from 10.00am until 4.00pm.

The aim of this festival is to celebrate young adult and children’s books and encourage young people to share the joy of reading in an interactive environment, accessible to all. As such this is a free event, and everyone involved is doing so voluntarily, out of a passion to inspire and educate the next generation. We also hope to prompt a trend of community festivals and events.

There’ll be the Word Play Area, the Super Signings Tent, the Story Telling Tent; a Workshop Space, competitions, and THE Stage, featuring back-to-back talks, presentations and readings from a wide variety of authors and illustrators. The days events will also include the official launch of the library’s brand new Reading Garden, created and maintained by volunteers in the community, and a performance of adapted children’s book ‘Aliens Love Underpants’ by Handprint Theatre for an integrated deaf and hearing audience.

Saturday’s events will kick off spectacularly at 10.30am, with comedy writer Annie Caulfield talking about her books on THE Stage. Events throughout the rest of the week will be for class bookings – please call 020 8489 1428.

With a wide range of authors and storytellers attending, there’ll be something for everyone – whether you’re 5 or 95, into ghost stories, thrillers, fantasy, comedy, or history, you’ll find something you like. Authors include Cliff McNish, N. M. Browne, Nikalas & Tim, Ros Asquith, Sally Prue, S. C. Ransom, Linda Newbery, Karen McCrombie, Josh Lacey, Tanya Linch, Lyn Gardner and variety of other great authors and illustrators.

Marcus Garvey Library’s Reading Garden will be officially opened on the day by the council, and a food stall will perch itself in the garden, serving tea, and an assortment of tasty foodstuffs throughout the day. You are also invited to bring your own picnic to eat in the Reading Garden too!

To help you find your way to the festival, there will be a trail of bunting and posters to follow, leading from Seven Sisters tube station (the closest tube to Marcus Garvey Library) all the way to the festival’s door – much like Hansel and Gretel following pebbles, but without a cannibal witch lurking about…we hope.

Leonie Pratt, Commissioning Editor at Catnip -

“Getting children reading – and enjoying reading for themselves – is more important now than ever before. There’s a book out there to grab any child’s attention, and free festivals like this one make it easy for every child from every background to find something they want. We love publishing brilliant stories, and by working with such an exciting venture, we’re hoping to spread this love a little further!”

Lucy Boyd, Festival Organiser –

This is a free event, creating a fun, interactive and stimulating environment that introduces people to the diverse forms through which literature lives – performance, books, story-telling, to name a few. The publishing industry is so broad now – and so closely linked to the media with many books inspiring movie counterparts – that there really is something for everyone.

One of the most remarkable things about this event is that it has been achieved with zero budget; every person who has agreed to take part in this event – every author, publisher, bookshop, library, story-teller, and artist – has done so out of a like-minded passion for educating the next generation, and bringing about great community events that are free. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in this year’s Children’s Literature Festival

We hope to see you on Saturday and throughout the week at the Haringey Children’s Literature Festival!

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Don’t forget to enter our free prize draw to win two designer baby books by Orla Kiely – for your chance to win, just leave a comment on our Best Books for Children page telling us which books you’d recommend for young children.

About the Author: Janis

I look after the day-to-day running of ReallyKidFriendly.com, as well as some geeky stuff behind the scenes. Thanks to my two boisterous rascals (aged 4 and 5), I have become an expert in soft play areas, parks, energetic music classes, and where to get a stiff drink once the kids have gone to bed. Really – ask me anything!