Riddell to discuss the 'beautiful book' at Philippa Pearce Lecture

Former children’s laureate Chris Riddell will give the Philippa Pearce Lecture next month in a talk titled ‘The Age of the Beautiful Book’.

The illustrator will explore “how words and pictures work together for a reader” in print and how he believes it will continue in a digital age, at the event held at Cambridge University on 8th September. Riddell will also discuss books becoming “ever more covetable as objects” and how libraries remain “vital”.

The annual lecture celebrates excellence in literature for children and provides a platform for authors, poets and illustrators to reflect on their work and its wider context.

It was established in 2007 by the family, friends and colleagues of Philippa Pearce, author of Tom’s Midnight Garden (Oxford University Press), which won the Carnegie Medal in 1958.

Previous lecture speakers have included Allan Ahlberg last year, Meg Rosoff in 2015 as well as writers such as Malorie Blackman, Philip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo.

Riddell has illustrated more than 150 books, won numerous awards, and was appointed children’s laureate in 2015. During his two-year tenure, he emphasised the importance of creativity, visual literacy, and the role of libraries in schools. His experience is captured in a book, Travels with My Sketchbook, which was published last month by Macmillan Children's Books. 

The lectures are held in association with Homerton College, Cambridge, and tickets are free.

For more information, or to reserve a ticket, visit pearcelecture.com.