Update: Tickets will be available to buy on the door.
Update 2: Not been to a book festival before? If you are in any doubt about the effect such an event can have on a child, one of our parents said of last year’s event and the impact it had on her reluctant reader son:
Finding books to turn my son on to reading, and more importantly to keep him reading, has been a challenge. Horrid Henry came and went; Beast Quest became a favourite; and then of course there’s Harry Potter. But what next…?
We came to last year’s WoW Festival and Hugo was captivated. Listening to the authors talk about themselves, how they wrote and where their inspiration came from, opened up a whole new world. They made characters come alive, settings more real and ignited a new passion… he’s nearly finished Metawars and cannot wait for this Saturday.
Last year we held Wonder of Words, our first young people's literary festival. It was a great success and so we decided we would repeat it this year, again in conjunction with the school's annual summer fair, with all the great stalls, games, live music and food that people have come to expect from a Charters School summer event, but with a slight difference. That difference is WOW!
For our second Wonder of Words Young People's Literary Festival we have again managed to provide a brilliant line-up of author events, featuring some of the hottest authors currently writing for children and young adults. We are very excited to be hosting Jane Elson, Jim Smith and Jeff Norton and we believe we have a programme which has a little something for everyone.
Programme
Jane Elson 12-1.00pm
After performing as an actress and comedy improviser for many years, Jane fell into writing stories and plays. A Room Full Of Chocolate is her debut novel for readers of 8 + and she is currently working on her second novel, Jump, for readers of 9+.
When she is not writing Jane spends her time running creative writing and comedy improvisation workshops for children with special educational needs. She is also a guest practitioner at Soho Theatre’s Writer’s Lab.
Whilst writing A Room Full Of Chocolate Jane ate a lot of chocolate in the name of research and spent most of her time trying to peer round her one eyed, raggedy eared cat Larry, whom she adopted from the Celia Hammond Trust and who insists on standing in front of the computer screen.
Jim Smith 1.30-2.30pm
The I Am (Not) A Loser series is fast becoming a humour classic. Barry Loser has never minded his name…not until horrible Darren Darrenofski joins the school. Now he’s completely ruining Barry’s life and Barry is determined to prove that he’s absolutely not a loser! These brilliant books from top talent Jim Smith are packed full of silly humour, quirky plots and doodles.
Barry Loser writes: 'Jim Smith is the keelest kids' book comma putter and page numberer in the whole wide world amen. He graduated with first class honours (the best you can get) and went on to create the branding for a sweet little chain of coffee shops. He also designs cards and gifts under the name Waldo Pancake.'
I Am Still Not a Loser was awarded the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 for ages 7-14.
Jeff Norton 3.00-4.00pm
Jeff Norton is an author and producer. He creates compelling characters, amazing stories, and immersive worlds for all ages, in all media. He is the author of the high-tech thriller MetaWars series from Orchard Books and the upcoming humour series Memoirs Of A Neurotic Zombie from Faber Children’s. Through his production company, AWESOME, Jeff is also currently producing a pre-school television show, developing his first feature film as writer-director, and co-writing books with other talented authors.
Tickets
After performing as an actress and comedy improviser for many years, Jane fell into writing stories and plays. A Room Full Of Chocolate is her debut novel for readers of 8 + and she is currently working on her second novel, Jump, for readers of 9+.When she is not writing Jane spends her time running creative writing and comedy improvisation workshops for children with special educational needs. She is also a guest practitioner at Soho Theatre’s Writer’s Lab.
Whilst writing A Room Full Of Chocolate Jane ate a lot of chocolate in the name of research and spent most of her time trying to peer round her one eyed, raggedy eared cat Larry, whom she adopted from the Celia Hammond Trust and who insists on standing in front of the computer screen.
Jim Smith 1.30-2.30pm
The I Am (Not) A Loser series is fast becoming a humour classic. Barry Loser has never minded his name…not until horrible Darren Darrenofski joins the school. Now he’s completely ruining Barry’s life and Barry is determined to prove that he’s absolutely not a loser! These brilliant books from top talent Jim Smith are packed full of silly humour, quirky plots and doodles.Barry Loser writes: 'Jim Smith is the keelest kids' book comma putter and page numberer in the whole wide world amen. He graduated with first class honours (the best you can get) and went on to create the branding for a sweet little chain of coffee shops. He also designs cards and gifts under the name Waldo Pancake.'
I Am Still Not a Loser was awarded the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 for ages 7-14.
Jeff Norton 3.00-4.00pm
Jeff Norton is an author and producer. He creates compelling characters, amazing stories, and immersive worlds for all ages, in all media. He is the author of the high-tech thriller MetaWars series from Orchard Books and the upcoming humour series Memoirs Of A Neurotic Zombie from Faber Children’s. Through his production company, AWESOME, Jeff is also currently producing a pre-school television show, developing his first feature film as writer-director, and co-writing books with other talented authors.
Tickets
There is no charge for entry to the Summer Fair, but we are making a small charge for each of the author events. Tickets for each author event are only £4 for adults and £2 for under 18s. All children under the age of 11 must be accompanied by a ticket buying adult.
Tickets can be purchased by post by sending a cheque for the correct amount made payable to Charters School. Please ensure you state clearly the event(s) you wish to purchase tickets for. Your tickets will be posted to you free of charge or, should you prefer, your tickets will be held at the school for collection on the day of the festival.
All cheques should be sent to:
WOW Festival, Charters School, Charters Road, Sunningdale, Berkshire. SL5 9QY
Books and Signings
We will be selling books after each event and there will be an opportunity to meet each author and get your books signed. Unfortunately we will not have credit card facilities on the day and we will only be accepting cash or cheques for book purchases. You are welcome to bring books you already own for signing.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email chartersbooks@gmail.com or call the school on 01344 624826
The Summer Fair
As mentioned above, the summer fair part of the day is completely free to enter, and there will be plenty going on for all of the family to keep you occupied between the author events, including:
Barbecue
Indian food stall
Tea and cakes
Silent auction
Amazon voucher raffle
Chocolate tombola
Bouncy castle
Sumo suits
Games, games and more games
Second hand book stall
All kinds of other stalls
Live music
