I am VERY excited to be taking part in the Wychwood Festival this weekend 🙂 No, no, not as a musician – ha! – but as part of the Kids’ Literature Festival. I’ve got two events to do: one informal session on Saturday (tomorrow, eek!) in which I shall be teaching people how to make pop-up cards and shooting star wands, and one ‘proper author’ session on Sunday in which I’ll be encouraging the audience to write a huge interactive poem and write their wishes into origami stars. Oh – and I might talk about my books a bit as well, I suppose…!
It’s a tricky thing, trying to prepare for this festival. Normally at events, you can specify which age is most appropriate for your talk, and people turn up at the beginning and stay to the end. But Wychwood is different. I could have audience members of any age, and they may wander in or out (possibly depending on whether I’m interesting enough) – so I’ve been trying to plan for all eventualities! Inevitably, I’ve got a bit carried away by the craft aspect…
I couldn’t help it. The minute the organiser, the fantastic Barbara, said that I might want to include some craft aspects, I was AWAY. My favourite part is going to be making wish stars with my audience. You only need a strip of paper, and you fold it into a star shape. I’m going to ask my audience to write their wish onto the strip before they fold it up, and then pop it into my wish jar, which I’ve decorated with glitter and ribbons. I can’t promise their wishes will come true, of course, but who knows?
My family is coming too. We’re camping, which fills me with horror in many ways because I don’t like camping. But it’s only for one night, and the kids will sleep for SOME of it, right?!
I’d just like the sun to shine a bit. Failing that, for it not to rain ALL the time. So keep your fingers crossed for decent weather in Cheltenham this weekend – and if you’re in the area and fancy a BRILLIANT time, do come along to the festival. It has a wonderful atmosphere and is truly family-friendly. And you can pop into the Booktrust tent and say hi to me too 🙂
(Other authors are appearing, OF COURSE. Including the brilliantly and massively talented: Jo Nadin, Wendy Meddour, Philip Ardagh, John Dougherty and Korky Paul.)
Jo Cotterill 