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Children’s laureate Malorie Blackman will this June head up a new children’s literature festival in Dorking, Surrey, organised by children’s book information website ReadingZone.
As part of ReadingZone Festival 2014, which will run between 25-28th June, Blackman will lead a show at Leatherhead Theatre for 500 children, alongside comedian and author James Campbell.
Other authors appearing at the festival include Steven Butler, author of The Diary of Dennis the Menace (Puffin), Jonathan Meres, author of the World of Norm series (Orchard Books); Jamie Thomson, who won the Roald Dahl prize in 2012 for Dark Lord: Teenage Years (Orchard Books), and Chris Bradford, who will present his new Bodyguard series (Puffin).
Jonny Duddle, illustrator of new Harry Potter front covers for Bloomsbury, and Adam Stower, author and illustrator of books such as The Troll and the Oliver (Templar), are teaming up to host an event based on pirates and trolls for children aged four to eight.
Festival director Caroline Horn said: “We have worked hard to find authors and illustrators who we know will deliver engaging and entertaining events for the most reluctant of readers, as well as children and teenagers who already love books.”
ReadingZone will also work with schools in the run-up to the festival on creative writing and illustrating projects, including making a comic, writing a diary of a superhero and writing for suspense.
The winners of each project will be announced live during the festival. The winning schools will get a skype call with one of the festival authors.