Cowell and Stanton to headline Bath Children’s Festival school programme

Authors including Cressida Cowell, Andy Stanton and Abi Elphinstone are taking part in the Bath Children's Literature Festival schools programme this year.

Cowell will talk to schools about her latest book The Wizards of Once: Knock Three Times (Hachette Children’s Books) and give tips on becoming an author or illustrator, while Stanton will present his new funny series set in ancient Pompeii, The Paninis of Pompeii (Egmont).

Atinuke, Guy Parker-Rees, Ade Adepitan and Rob Biddulph are also amongst the authors taking part, as is performance poet Dean Atta.

Artistic director Gill McLay said: “The schools programme is so important to the festival. John [McLay, co-artistic director] and I believe whole-heartedly that every child has the right to books in their life. Unleashing the imagination and the freedom to question and explore new worlds, cultures and possibilities is essential and hopefully the schools programme helps us to offer that opportunity to more children and reach out further into the community.”

Last year’s schools programme reached 4,000 children at more than 40 schools, according to the organisers.

This year the Bath Children’s Literature Festival runs between 27th September and 6th October. It is run in collaboration with Bath Spa University and is supported by Royal High School Bath, Kingswood School, Novia and Bath BID.