Boakye to open Stepping Into Stories Kids' Lit Fest

Jeffrey Boakye will open The Stepping Into Stories Kids’ Lit Fest, a week-long festival celebrating children’s literature, running from 30th January to 4th February 2024 in Herne Hill.

The festival is also launching the Stepping Into Stories competition, which will be divided into three age categories. Children will be invited to produce a piece of storytelling based on the theme "rooted deep, branching far". The submission can be in any format including comic strips, rap, poetry, performance and song. The deadline to enter is 6th January 2024 with prizes awarded on 3rd February 2024.

Children’s author and broadcaster Boakye will open the festival where over 60 events will run over the course of the week with authors Sam Sedgman, Lauren Ellen Anderson, James Catchpole, Patrice Lawrence, Katya Balen and more set to appear.

Virtual events will be available for schools and the general public. The festival’s fifth outing will also see it pair with Baytree Centre in Brixton and new schools in the Croydon area.

Festival co-director and children’s author Mo O’Hara commented: "Just like London, our programme is diverse, celebrating speakers from all backgrounds and cultures, including fantastic LGBTQ, BME and disabled authors and illustrators. The schools we work with have children from many of London’s most deprived wards as well as children with special educational needs. Our aim through this festival is to make sure that all children have access to amazing books and role models to spark a lifelong love of reading.”

Tickets are available on the Stepping Into Stories website here.