Kingston Children's Literary Festival 2017 - free festive and non-festive storytelling events for families this November and December 2017.

[LocalEditorMerton]

This festive season, children and parents alike are invited to listen to some of their favourite festive and non-festive tales from a line up some of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors, in the lead-up to Christmas, with the Kingston Children's Literary Festival.

Week commencing Mon. 11 December sees the final two storytelling events of the Kingston Children's Literary Festival both taking place on Saturday, 16 December. Piers Torday will be reading from There May Be a Castle (suitable for 9-11 year olds) at 11am, and finally Christian Darkin will be reading extracts from the suitably festive sounding The Present Machine (ideal for 7-12 year olds) at 2pm. Enjoy!

Week commencing Mon. 4 December sees five Kingston local storytelling sessions across two dates (Thursday 7 and Saturday 9). On Thursday afternoon festive family storytelling includes Maudie Powell-Tuck reading from Last Stop on the Reindeer Express or join Tom McLaughlin for a reading from The Accidental Father Christmas. On Saturday Katherine Woodfine will be reading excerpts from The Midnight Peacock (the thrilling conclusion to the Sinclair’s Mysteries). A. Bello reading from her latest novel, Emily Knight…I am awakened and Jeremy Davies reading from the suitably seasonal The Advent Calendar. There's something for children of all ages!

Week commencing Mon. 27 November sees Lotte Moore reading from School Scooter Fun (suitable for 4-7 year olds). Join Doodles & Scribbles for an interactive reading session from their book Parrots Don’t Live in the City! (encouraging children to pause and notice nature all around them). Stand-up comedian Olaf Falafel will be reading from festive Father Christmas Heard a Parp and Katherine Webber will be reading excerpts from her inspirational Young Adult fiction novel Wing Jones.

Week commencing Mon. 20 November sees Stacey Turner reading from her book I am going to Nursery (to reassure little ones heading off to nursery for the first time), as well as the award-winning Pete Johnson, author of over fifty books, reading from How to update your parents (a hilarious take on ‘unplugging’ kids in the digital age).

Events are free of charge but must be pre-booked. For full details of these readings and more, head to the Kingston Children's Literary Festival website.

[LocalEditorMerton]

Update 8.12.2017 (11.20am) - it would appear from the Kingston Children's Literary Festival website that the A. Bello event, originally scheduled for tomorrow, has been cancelled as it's no longer showing on the list of upcoming events.