Top authors for county book festival

A host of the country's top children's authors and illustrators visited schools around Shropshire for the annual Authors in Schools week. The event was organised by Shrewsbury Children's Bookfest and took place last week from Monday to Friday.

The event saw little bookworms meet and greet the authors in their schools as part of an effort to bring books to life for the youngsters.

The organising committee arranged for nine children's authors, illustrators and storytellers to visit 15 junior schools in and around Shrewsbury to entertain more than 2,000 children.

Among the schools that were given a visit were Albrighton Junior School, near Cosford, Wilfred Owen School, in Shrewsbury and Baschurch Primary School, near Shrewsbury.

Activities for the youngsters included live performances, storytelling, cartoon and writing workshops.

Different kinds of events were aimed at various age groups.

Sophie Peach, the chairman of the organising committee, said the week was very exciting and was looked forward to my students and teachers.

She said: "Each year we get fabulous feedback from the schools that take part about just how much the children get out of their author visits.

"Having a real live author or illustrator come into your school really brings books alive for children."

She said the festival had a "fabulous" line-up of authors, illustrators and storytellers this year.

Those taking part included Kaye Umansky, county author and poet Andrew Fusek Peters, Barbara Mitchelhill, Sam Llewellyn, Benjamin Myers, Lynne Chapman, Julia Jarman and Shropshire storyteller Fran O'Boyle also took part.

Cheryl Kearney, English subject leader at Oakmeadow School, in Bayston Hill, which had two aothor visits, said: "Both the authors were really brilliant, the children enjoyed the visits and have gained an understanding of the reality of being an author.

"One teacher said to me she's got a whole term's work out of it."

The next event will be the May Bookfest.

The event will run from April 30 to May 3.

The bookfest will see a visit from Axel Scheffler, award-winning illustrator of The Gruffalo.

By Emma Kasprzak

Young children and their families will also be able to enjoy a drama adaptation of Elmer the Elephant stories by the Blunderbus Theatre Company at The Hive.

For details and to book tickets visit www.shrews

burybookfest.co.uk