From the Once Upon a Trail around Marlborough High Street to children’s author talks and free events for families including storytelling, arts and crafts activities and theatre performances, as well as LitFest’s annual free schools’ events, this year’s Marlborough LitFest for children has something for all ages.
LitFest aims to give its regular audience plenty of literary treats but also to attract people who haven’t tried the festival before, with many ways to join and share everyone’s love of stories. The children’s festival programme features a bumper crop of events to keep all ages entertained both before and during the festival weekend, including:
Once Upon A Trail – 13 Sept onwards
Shops and businesses on and around Marlborough High Street will have books in their windows for you to spot. Grab our Once Upon A Trail leaflet from The White Horse Bookshop, tick them off and earn a special stamp from the library or The Parade Cinema.
Sat 20 Sept – Tall Tales Theatre – FREE
Pewsey Library (10.30am), Marlborough Library (2pm)
Tall Tales Theatre performs Rumplestiltskin, a traditional tale with live music aimed at 3-6 year olds. Free but please book your place by calling Marlborough Library: 01672 512663 or Pewsey Library: 01672 562265
Thur 25 Sept – Festival Launch with Marlborough St Mary’s
10am – Outside Marlbrough Town Hall
Children from Marlborough St Mary’s Primary School launch the Festival with songs on the Town Hall steps.
Sat 27 Sept – Story Craft Activities – FREE
1pm – 4pm drop-in sessions, The Parade Cinema
The Aldbourne Children’s Book Group provide craft and art activities for all ages to provide some creative fun. Recommended for ages 5+. No tickets required.
Sat 27 Sept – Ashley Ramsden Storyteller – Tistou of the Green Thumbs – FREE
11.30am, The Parade Cinema Courtyard
Settle down to hear master storyteller Ashlev Ramsden relate this French classic in English accompanied by guitar. Tistou’s parents And some unconventional ways to homeschool him with unexpected consequences. First lesson, gardening…Recommended for ages 7+. No tickets required.
Sat 27 Sept – Storytelling – FREE
3.00pm, The Parade Cinema
Drop into The Parade courtyard, relax and enjoy some fun with our storytelling session. Recommended for ages 3 to 8. No tickets required.
Sat 27 Sept – Jessie Burton
2.30pm, The White Horse Bookshop. Tickets £5.
Bestselling author of ‘The Miniaturist’ Jessie Burton has now turned her considerable talents to children’s books with ‘Hidden Treasure’. This spellbinding story of two children on a dangerous quest to find ancient treasure that could return to them the most precious thing they have lost is gripping from the very start. Recommended for ages 8+
Sun 28 Sept – Tall Tales Theatre – FREE
10am, The White Horse Bookshop.
Lizzie Lewis of Tall Tales Theatre performs a family theatre event. This is recommended for children aged 5+. No tickets required.
Sun 28 Sept – Carrie Sellon
11.30am, The White Horse Bookshop. Tickets £5.
We’re excited to welcome local children’s author Carrie Sellon and her hilarious ‘Pizza Pete’ series. Full of madcap adventure, magical potions, a dog that breathes fire and even an exploding headteacher, these books are all about fun with a big slice of pizza. Carrie will bring her briefcase full of magical potions, so come along and design your own magical pizza too! Recommended for ages 5+
Sun 28 Sept 2024 – Thiago de Moraes
2.30pm, The White Horse Bookshop. Tickets £5.
Thiago de Moraes writes and illustrates books and comics about ancient myths, legend and history. ‘Myth Atlas’, a guide to global mythology, has been translated into more than 20 languages; he has been twice nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. At LitFest, Thiago will gell some traditional stories about trickster gods from around the world in his book ‘Old Gods New Tricks’ before inviting the audience to take part in a fun live-drawing session. Recommended for ages 7+
As part of its annual outreach programme, LitFest sets up free author events for children at local schools. Children’s authors Tom Palmer, AF Steadman and Catherine Bruton will share their stories with more than 1,000 local children in Marlborough, Pewsey, Calne and Devizes. The winning entries from our summer term primary schools’ story-writing competition will be on display in the Town Hall during the festival weekend and the winners will receive tickets to a children’s event at the LitFest weekend as well as a book token.
For secondary schools, St John’s Marlborough hosts the annual Big School Read and St John’s Sixth Form Debate returns to the Town Hall on Thursday 25 September at 4pm, discussing if it is ever morally right to censor literature in front of a public audience.
HOW TO BOOK LITFEST TICKETS
Online: click here
By telephone: 0333 666 3366
In person: The White Horse Bookshop, Marlborough, and from the Box Office in the Town Hall over the festival weekend. Please note that the bookshop cannot take orders by telephone.
Defection of Danny Kruger – letter from David Chandler
