• Contact us
  • Advertise with us
  • Cumbria Crack app
  • About us
Saturday, July 19, 2025
cumbriacrack.com
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink
No Result
View All Result
cumbriacrack.com
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Hundreds of young readers enjoy South Cumbrian book festival

by Cumbria Crack
16/06/2024
in News
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Hundreds of young book enthusiasts shared their love of reading with their favourite authors when the Ormsgill Book Festival took place in Barrow this week.

Pupils from 10 primary schools heard from leading children’s authors Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Jennifer Killick.

They also took part in draw-a-long workshops with illustrator Fiona Woodcock and enjoyed tales from popular storyteller Dan Worsley.

The event, held at Ormsgill Primary School, is in its sixth year and was organised by assistant headteacher Laura Reid.

Author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce shared stories of his own primary school days and impressed the pupils with magic before reading excerpts from his latest book The Wonder Brothers, set in Blackpool.

“Laura is a force of nature getting this organised and we are really excited to be here,” he said. “It’s important that the children know a book is created by people like them and that whole world is open to them.

“You need great words to be a great chef or a great surgeon or a great mum or dad, not necessarily just to be a writer,” he said.

Frank’s work is well-known to the pupils and he has amassed young fans across the world with 12 best-selling books as well as writing the only words the Queen ever acted in the Platinum Jubilee Paddington sketch.

He said: “I want to bring a sense of fun and I hope it makes the pupils think that books and fun go together and they see books as something of a shared experience.”

Children’s novelist Jennifer Killick, who penned the Alex Sparrow books as well as junior horror including the DreadWood series, took the pupils on a journey through one of her books – Crater Lake.

She talked to the children about school trips as a setting for stories and challenged them to write their own adventures.

“Being an author is a wonderful job,” she told them. “I can write stories and make people feel happy or scared or all sorts of emotions.”

Pupils from schools in South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust were among those taking part in the festival.

Darcey from year five at Newbarns Primary and Nursery School said it had definitely made her want to read more.

“This was one of the best experiences of my life and I couldn’t imagine meeting these authors in a million years,” she said.

Laura Reid said: “We have been trying to get the authors for a few years but this time the dates all aligned and we are over the moon to welcome them.

“Frank is a national treasure and had the children enthralled with his storytelling and Jennifer brings some creepiness to her books, which they love.

“With Fiona and Dan completing the line-up we were able to offer workshops for all ages from reception right through to year six. It has been a packed day, we also had comic art sessions with Sim Leech who does the Comic Potential project.”

The event was supported bookseller Sam Read of Grasmere as well as by Barrow Town Council, TI Accountancy, accountants JF Hornby, BAE Systems and Nuclear Transport Solutions which donated from £500 to £2,500 for speakers.

Previous Post

Early start for hounds at Wardhall

Next Post

Political leaders urged to give Windermere greater protection

Have you read?

Armstrong Watson team take on gruelling Lake District challenge
News

Armstrong Watson team take on gruelling Lake District challenge

18/07/2025
Electrical fire caused by lightning strike in Millom
Latest

Updated thunderstorm warning for Cumbria issued

18/07/2025
How has Cumbria police helped your neighbourhood?
Latest

Two-year-old boy’s death unexplained but not suspicious

18/07/2025
Lake District illegal campers continue to ‘hack down trees’ for fires
Latest

Lake District illegal campers continue to ‘hack down trees’ for fires

18/07/2025
Little Herdy’s big Antarctic adventure
News

Little Herdy’s big Antarctic adventure

18/07/2025
West Side Story set to be brought to life on Cumbrian stage
News

West Side Story set to be brought to life on Cumbrian stage

18/07/2025

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox!

*We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: admin@cumbriacrack.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Send a sport report
  • Get our app
  • Advertise with us
  • About us

Follow us on

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox!

*We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

© Barrnon Media Limited 2023

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy
This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.