Manchester Children's Book Festival is go!

The Manchester Children's Book Festival is a biennial celebration hosted by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. It kicked off yesterday and runs until 8 July, with a range of events across Manchester at MMU, libraries, galleries and museums. More information on what you can expect can be found here. This Saturday (30 June), there is a Family Fun Day, with author readings and free workshops and arts and crafts activities at the Manchester Metropolitan University’s All Saints Campus (on Oxford Road). Click here for more.

Kevin Danson is part of the team behind MCBC and he's very excited about one event in particular: "This year, we are launching a Reading & Writing Relay from Monday 2 - Friday 6 July across the globe. Starting at Longsight Library with a reading from Cathy Cassidy, the physical relay will turn virtual, allowing everyone to get involved wherever you are, and show your support. For further details on how to get your coverage on our relay blog and see your location on our relay map, click here."

Feeling flash

Tomorrow sees the UK's first-ever official celebration of short-short stories, micro fiction, nano fiction or flash fiction, whichever term you prefer. There will be events up and down the country, from writing workshops to flash slams, and here in Manchester two writing collectives are taking the lead to serve up fresh flash fiction throughout the day and evening.

FlashTag is a five-strong group of authors and Manchester Blog Awards winners, and they will be wandering around the city during the daytime offering up guerilla story-telling: flashmobbing flash fiction, if you like. The tour starts at the Whitworth Art Gallery at 10am and finishes at Waterstones Deansgate at 5pm, and in between the gang will be stopping off at various locations, including cultural centres, iconic buildings and public spaces. Follow them on Twitter for details of the venues as they are revealed: @flashtagmcr.

Bad Language are curating the evening affair, which starts at 7.30pm in 3 Minute Theatre on the ground floor of Afflecks Palace on Oldham Street. As well as showing clips of the FlashTaggers at work earlier, there will be readings of the ten pieces shortlisted in the recent National Flash-Fiction Day competition, judged by David Gaffney, Emma Jane Unsworth and Cathy Bryant.

See the National Flash-Fiction Day website for details of all the events and to get hold of a copy of the Jawbreakers anthology of short-short stories, which publishes tomorrow.

Conference call

6^th Cultureword National Black Writers Conference Saturday 24 March 2012, 11am, Zion Arts Centre

Words by Kevin Danson.

The 6^th Cultureword National Black Writers Conference (Facebook; website) takes place in Hulme’s Zion Arts Centre with a lot of support, including Arts Council England and Big Lottery Fund. Despite the gorgeous day outside, the theatres of the Zion Arts Centre show their own version of a lovely Saturday afternoon.

11am–12pm: Poetry Futures

Derry Burden of Curious Minds chairs the first panel. The aim is to debate the guidance poets of the younger generation are being given in order for their work and words to be heard. Beside Derry sits Khadijah Ibrahiim of Leeds Young Authors, Madeline Heneghan from Liverpool Young Writers and Manchester’s Young Identity leader, Shirley May.

Poetry-slamming events have grown in popularity over the past decade. Resonating something of a dance-off with words, Khadijah tells us about the slams she arranges three times a year, with some successful young poets travelling to the US to represent Manchester in an international SLAM! The Contact Theatre-based group Young Identity now go out and deliver a workshop for the project Wordsmith, an interschool slamming competition. Looking at things in different ways and under different names is all about changing with the times. Young Identity appear to have this covered.

Derry asks, ‘What keeps the children coming back for more workshops?’ Hands begin to punch the air as it seems many here have strong views and passionate voices on the matter of children’s education. Facts are revealed regarding the restricted syllabus schools have to adhere to, but one man, an English teacher with over 16 years’ experience, resolves the matter with a simple solution: ‘If you want to change the war, become a soldier, if you want to change the police force, become a policeman.’ Infiltration is key.

Derry brings the discussion to an end with an interesting fact: ‘Fifteen per cent of a child’s waking hour is spent in school, the remaining 85 per cent is at home and this is now being spent in the digital world.’ If influence to the arts starts at home, the transition will be, as Shirley calls it, ‘The passing of caterpillar to butterfly.’

12pm–1pm: E-books & Social Media

Under the hastag #bwc2012, the global ongoing debate of whether e-books will wipe out print begins. The panelists for this insightful talk are Zahid Hussain, a Manchester-based author, Simon Murray, Yorkshire-based poet, Adam Lowe, publisher and blogger, and the chair of the panel, web designer, author and Flipped Eye publisher, Nii Parkes.

I’m forever intrigued with the changes we go through to keep up with modernity. Questions that arise are: can e-books provide readers with good material? Will they allow unpublished authors’ works to be seen? Living in a country where technology is available to the majority of us, we forget about those absent from this developing world. Simon warns how technology and fingertip information has changed the psychology of those who have access to the virtual realm. It’s all about speed nowadays. News spreads much faster over the internet, allowing individuals to become recognised/discovered at a quicker pace. A good example of this is the poem The ‘N’ Word, which was uploaded by the poet Dean Atta. After sending several tweets, the poem became viral, ascribing him a name in the world of poetry.

With his experience of working within a publisher, Adam tells us how e-books challenge writers and publishers on how to reach their audiences. The pressure certainly increases in regards to which channel to choose when publishing current novels. Despite online publishing giving a chance to all who want their voices to be heard, the amount of ‘white noise’ polluting this new medium is abundant, transforming good literature into a cacophony of mumbling texts.

Zahid believes that print will not be going away, but may be sold on demand. Seeing how the next generation prefer more interactive features in their everyday tools, will they be satisfied with just a lump of words on a page? I can’t see why not. We’ve managed to enjoy word power for hundreds of years without needing to feel, smell or lick the page (well, some of us).

From the back of the auditorium the poet Kei Miller reminds us all: ‘Reading becomes an experience and the physical book becomes a souvenir of that experience.’ By looking at my bookshelf at home, I’d say I definitely agree with this.

2pm–3pm: How To Make A Living From Your Writing

Quick stretch of the legs and a blast of vitamin D and we’re back in for an informal session with poet and scriptwriter Anjum Malik. A very useful first tip Anjum imparts is: ‘Work hard and have no shame when it comes to earning money’ – within reason, I’m sure. One of the perks of writing is that it’s not a 9-5 job. It’s about learning, creating and adapting to the ever-changing market. A mantra from Anjum’s retail days is: ‘Every no means you are closer to a yes.’

A number of people ask about workshops they can do to perfect their writing abilities. Mixed reviews are given when it comes to MAs, though Anjum herself did an MA in scriptwriting and, since completing it, has never been without a commission. The Arvon Foundation is recommended, but receives cringing faces when prices are mentioned. One Arvon veteran defends the cost with the course’s content, not forgetting accommodation and food included. Finding out that bursaries are available for many of these writing courses, I begin to dogear the pages of a writing course booklet given to me at the entrance.

3pm–4pm: How To Get Your Novel Published

Panel members are: Margaret Busby, publisher, editor, judge of the SI Leeds Literary Prize for new Black & Asian Women Authors; Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press; Kavita Bhanot, writer, editor for the Tindal Street Press anthology Too Asian, Not Asian Enough, and chair of the panel Jacob Ross, London-based author and reader for The Literature Consultancy. The panellists do not want to waste our time providing us with tips on how to write a cover letter or proposal, as these are easily found on the internet. Instead they are here to share their experience as MA students, editors and publishers.

Jacob starts us off by explaining how editors are seen as the gatekeepers to the publishing world. When the word ‘quality’ is mentioned, seats stir among the audience. Many of these writers admit to being fobbed off with the excuse of poor quality. When it’s not the quality of writing, it’s the quality of voice or structure or plot. Could this be simply a case of self-victimisation or is the quality of the stories Caribbean writers create, lacking this sought-after ‘quality’?

Jeremy answers this question after admitting to seeing many changes within the publishers over the past 40 years. When it comes to good black writers submitting their novels to publishers, their stories are being rejected not because they are racist editors, but because the accountants look at what sells. ‘It’s not about quality, it’s about market.’ Consumerism once again shows its ugly face. A writer either adheres to the population’s demand and makes the big bucks, or writes for their own convenience with possibilities to publish through smaller companies.

The general understanding here is to prioritise your expectations. Once the art of writing has been developed, write what you feel comfortable with. Confidence comes with practice and whether you’re black, Asian or Caucasian, good writing is recognised and travels.

The end of the conference brings some great Caribbean and Asian poets to the stage to perform. The Speakeasy Collective creates a mishmash of grooving music and powerful words forbidding any foot to remain still. Kei Miller’s work reminds me of the MLF event I saw last year with Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze (read the review here), enchanting with his strong Caribbean accent and rhythm. What impressed me most though was the poetry performed by the Young Identity poetry group. Throughout the day, they had kept quiet in their seats listening to the opinions and declarations, and summing up the discussions in poetry which they performed just before the last break - a thoughtful yet smile-stretching poetic side-commentary and a great ending to the day's events.

Here are some links to the recordings on Audioboo:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/742084-young-identity
http://audioboo.fm/boos/742298-young-identity

Kevin Danson is an English Literature student at MMU. Read his blog Pebbleddash and follow him on Twitter @pebbleddash.

Favourite Manchester Literature - any ideas?

Manchester Literature Festival is joining forces with Oxygen Books to put together a very special event for this year’s festival in October 2012, and we need your help in selecting content for it - ''can you recommend any writing that, for you, perfectly sums up the City of Manchester, past, present or even future?'

The Oxygen Books’ city-pick series already features some of the best writing on favourite world cities, from New York, Berlin and Paris to London, Amsterdam, Dublin and Venice and has been called ‘wonderful’ (The Guardian), ‘superb’ (The Times) and ‘sublime’ (The Sydney Morning Herald).At the Literature Festival office, we've been trying to think of some of our own favourite pieces of local writing. Elizabeth Gaskell and Friedrich Engels both brought Manchester to life in their very different ways. There's 'Love on the Dole', of course, Walter Greenwood's classic slice of 1930's working class Salford and Manchester life. There are also the plays of Harold Brighouse, including the celebrated 'Hobson's Choice', first produced during the First World War and revived many times since then. Moving more up date, the late Shelagh Delaney was one of the first British playwrights to present issues of race and sexuality on stage in a naturalistic setting. Her 'Taste of Honey' is rightly regarded as a classic of literature - and she wrote it in ten days, whilst still a teenager! Delaney is cited as an influence on Morrissey and The Smiths, and of course, their lyrics are another example of writing inspired by a Manchester setting. Andrea Ashworth's moving 'Once In A House On Fire' describes a local upbringing fraught with physical and emotional trauma and is now studied at school.

Rainy City Stories is a great source of local fiction and poetry, and all are linked in some way to the local landscape and infrastructure. Howard Jacobson, Cath Staincliffe, Mike Duff, Jeff Noon...once you start thinking about Manchester Literature, you are spoilt for choice!

Oxygen Books will be presenting city-pick Manchester at the Manchester Literature Festival, together with a well-known actor. A city-pick Manchester pod-cast will also be available.

Do you have any ideas on writing about Manchester? If you do, please send them to Malcolm Burgess at malcolm.burgess3@btopenworld.com before April 30th 2012.

For more information you can email Malcolm or ring him: 01277 263770/ 07964979819

Bookend 2

Close Up With Jeffrey Eugenides: The Marriage Plot, Sunday 6th November, 7.30pm, Whitworth Art Gallery

Words by Zoe Lambert. Photograph by Jon Atkin.


About 150 of us are sitting in rows in the South Gallery, and with Jeffrey Eugenides standing at a lectern, we could be in a lecture in The Marriage Plot. But we aren’t. We are at the final MLF event, which is also one of Dave Haslam’s Close Up interviews.

Eugenides introduces his third novel, The Marriage Plot, by recounting how, just a few minutes ago, a "young journalist" had interviewed him for Creative Times told him that in a seminar in critical theory she’d sent romantic notes to someone in the class, using quotations from Roland Barthes' A Lovers’ Discourse. I glance at the "young journalist", who is sitting next to me in the audience; she is hiding under her hair.

At the beginning of the novel the "heroine", Madeleine - a devotee of 19th-century fiction - is attending a course on semiotics and writing a paper on Barthes’ A Lovers’ Discourse, while falling in love with another student, Leonard. Is this life copying art or art into life? Or being written by the discourse of love? In any case, Eugenides reads the section about Madeleine and Leonard falling in love, and ends with the moment when she announces she loves him, only to have Leonard force her read from A Lovers’ Discourse: "Once the first avowel has been made, 'I love you' has no meaning whatsoever."

Jeffrey Eugenides is an excellent reader. We could have listened to him for hours, possibly days, but with Madeleine throwing A Lovers’ Discourse at Leonard’s head, he closes the book and sits down on the chair next to Dave Haslam. Dave doesn’t ask about writing love stories, plots or semiotics. He goes straight to what audiences always want to know about: the practicalities of writing. Eugenides reveals that he writes every day from 10 til dinnertime; you can’t wait for inspiration. The secret, and this is what we are waiting for, is growing the flesh on your backside you need to develop to become a scholar. Is it hard to sustain the tone while writing a novel, asks Haslam. Sustaining it is easy. It’s finding the tone that’s hard. Are there any obstacles? Eugenides’ main obstacle is finishing his novels (on average 10 years). In fact, his editor flew to Berlin in order to take Middlesex away. (I imagine the editor prowling around his apartment, saying, Just tell me where the manuscript is, Jeff.) That’s another thing about Eugenides; he’s a great raconteur, full of anecdotes.

Dave Haslam asks the question no writer wants to answer: is there a lot of your own experience in the novel? Eugenides admits that when he was writing a lot of his memories of college life came back. But, interestingly, the section that "dovetailed" with his own experience was also the most difficult to write (he’d been trying to write about it for 30 years). Like the character Mitchell, he’d travelled around Europe and spent time in Calcutta, but the chapter about this ended up an "ungodly mess" and he had to cut away a lot of his autobiography in order to find the story.

Though the novel is about how to write the 19th-century marriage plot in the 21st century, aren’t things different now, with mobiles, the internet and so forth, to in the 80s? Nope. Nothing has changed. Whether you are waiting for a letter, staying in for a phone call or checking your mobile for a text, the "tumult of anxiety" (Barthes' words) of waiting has not changed. Too true, we all think. Too true.

Dave Haslam moves on to The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex. Was adolescence a fertile time for writing? Yes, he is slowly growing up. Is the "obscure object" in Middlesex from his personal experience? The term comes from a beautiful and mysterious art history major Eugenides and his friends admired at college. They called her "the obscure object" (from Bunuel’s That Obscure Object Of Desire). The day he finished his novel he went for dinner in Berlin and there she was, the obscure object in the flesh. Recently, she turned up at a reading in Toronto with her mother and fiancé.

It’s the audience’s turn. No one says anything for a minute, then a hand goes up: do you put limits on yourself as a writer? Yes, as a young writer limiting his options in The Virgin Suicides made it easier. But his latest novel grew more naturally. He wanted it to be a tightly dramatised book and to explore the characters as deeply as possible. The audience warms up and the questions come thick and fast. What about his next book? Same tone, says Eugenides. Wider canvas. Is Leonard based on David Foster Wallace? Not at all. He didn’t know Wallace when he was writing the character. The best question of the night: do you believe in semiotics or in love? Eugenides says he sits on the fence. He’d like to emancipate himself from delusions but still wants to believe in love. He has been influenced by semiotics, but resisted deconstruction; he still believes a text can convey meaning, and in that way he still believes in love. With the final question, he tells us Middlesex is going to be made into a mini-series by HBO.

We file into the next room for the book signing. Perhaps our "young journalist" and the story of her Barthian love letters will tour with Eugenides in his bank of brilliant anecdotes.

Zoe Lambert is the author of The War Tour, out now on Comma Press.

Bookend 1

Anthony Horowitz's Sherlock Holmes: The House Of Silk, Thursday 3rd November, 7pm, Banqueting Hall, Manchester Town Hall

Words by Simon Savidge. Photograph by Ed Swinden.

The setting for Manchester Literature Festival's first ‘bookend’ event couldn’t be more apt. Could there be anywhere more perfect for discussing all things Sherlock Holmes on a dark autumn evening than Manchester Town Hall - one of Manchester’s most gothic Victorian buildings and used in Guy Ritchie’s reinvention of Sherlock on the big screen as the Houses of Parliament. No, it’s true, honest. We are here tonight to see Anthony Horowitz, interviewed by one of the Festival’s patrons, Jenni Murray. He's discussing his career but in particular his latest novel, The House Of Silk, which - with the backing of the Conan Doyle estate - sees Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr Watson emerge once more from the fog of Victorian London.

Horowitz starts the event with a reading of the introduction, and (if you're like me rather a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you needn’t be worried) you are instantly drawn straight back into 221B Baker Street; his voice is so close to Arthur Conan Doyle's. When he ends, the packed Banqueting Hall explodes with applause, but everyone soon goes quiet as they put the famous voice of Radio 4's Woman’s Hour to the face of Jenni Murray. She opens the conversation with Anthony by asking why he felt he could write as Conan Doyle. “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think I could carry it of, for I am a huge fan, and in fact I had to write five pages first just to give it a go”, comes the reply, and the game is afoot.

Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle’s legacy makes up the first part of the discussion. Horowitz believes the fascination behind them is simply down to "friendship - we all want a best friend like Watson and a best friend like Holmes, it's that simple, and so we want to spend time with them as I always did and continue to do". Horowitz freely admits he did this project because he thought it would "be fun" and "had the story in about 45 minutes of knowing I was doing it", before telling us that there won't be a second Horowitz and Holmes outing because he has "used all the best stuff with this one, and a second would be cynical". Some authors could come off as arrogant with statements like that, but there is something slightly innocent and simply honest in Horowitz’s discussion - a certain open frankness which makes you wonder if that is what calls out to his younger fans.

In fact many of these surround him in the audience (indeed my 12-year-old cousin had begged to come along), and it's nice to see such a mix of young and old. When Horowitz discusses the ending of the Alex Rider series and why as he goes forward as an author - especially now his sons have grown up - the children’s books might slow down, one of the older fans says, "You gave me my childhood escapism - can you please keep doing it for my adulthood too?" It is when the audience gets involved and all the children start asking questions that the event opens up and a less serious side of Horowitz emerges and the author in fact almost lights up. I'm left fairly sure there will be no end to the children’s novels for quite some time yet as they provided such a captive and entertaining audience for the author, it seems.

There is also much laughter when Jenni Murray brings up his TV work, firstly the incredibly successful Foyle’s War and then Midsomer Murders and why Horowitz left. A wry smile appears as he tells the audience: "I had killed everyone off, in fact in my last episode I managed to kill two people off between every ad break, it seemed a little much." It's a question about TV that ends the evening as Murray asks who Horowitz would love to play Holmes and Watson should The House Of Silk be adapted. He thinks about and says: "My ideal pairing would be Daniel Day Lewis as Holmes… and Kenneth Brannagh as Watson - I think that could be the perfect duo." And from the sound of the audience, I think we are all agreed.

You can hear a Sherlock Special plus Manchester Literature Festival Special podcast on Simon's blog The Readers: click here.

Simon Savidge is a freelance editor and journalist, he blogs about all things bookish at Savidge Reads. He is also co-host of Manchester's Bookmarked Literary Salon, co-host of The Readers podcast and co-founder of the Green Carnation Prize. You can follow him on Twitter via @SavidgeReads.

Two for one tales

Words by Nazia Bashir. Photographs by Jon Atkin.

Review 1: Family Storytelling: Margaret Ryan, Saturday 15th October, 12 noon, Children's Department, Waterstone's Deansgate


It's stories galore on this warm October afternoon in the Children’s Department of Waterstone’s Deansgate, with books almost jumping at you from every wall; setting the right atmosphere for what is to be a fun and lively event. On entrance we are warmly welcomed by Margaret Ryan’s brightly lit smile as she sits comfortably behind a display of her recent works, which families are circling around. I manage to have a quick conversation with Margaret. Previously a primary school teacher, Margaret tells me she gave up teaching to become a children’s author. Writing is a hobby which “grew and grew”, she explains, till she decided to take it up as her main profession.

Now, as the carpet space fills up, Margaret gets ready to address her enthusiastic family gathering of children and parents alike. Some are sat cross-legged on the soft purple carpet, while a few are gathered around the table. Margaret begins by taking us through her journey and process as a children’s author. So how do ideas enter an author’s mind? Carefully taking off her glasses, Margaret remembers how a random conversation about pet names with a colleague intrigued her to write the Fat Alphie And Charlie The Wimp series. She found that her colleague’s pet names had something very “magical” about them which would appeal to children.

Margaret now presents us with a lively animated reading of Fat Alphie In Love. Brilliantly, she shifts her voice from a high-pitched singing tone to a low and gentle voice. Enthusiastically, the families join in together and the momentum picks up with the repeated sighs; everyone takes in a deep breath before Margaret reads the next line, “I’m in love with Lola!” Together everyone lets out a loud "sighhhhhh"! Noticeably, we are all warmed up and it is clear that repetition is a useful tool for children’s stories, especially for a bit of family storytelling fun; bringing everyone together. But before Margaret moves on to her next reading, a puzzled-looking lady impatiently asks, “Excuse me: does he get Lola in the end?” Left on a cliff-hanger, we are asked to read the rest to find out.

I’m sure we all must remember the familiar family story ”There were 10 in the bed and the little one said: roll over...” This is the idea for Margaret’s The Littlest Dragon series. The Littlest Dragon is the youngest in a family of 10 dragon brothers and they all sleep in one big dragon bed. However, the littlest dragon wants to get rid of the other nine dragons so he can have the bed to himself. Margaret explains this series, with a familiar family theme, is aimed at beginner readers.

Next, with the help of the lively audience, Margaret presents her most prominent work Roodica The Rude And The Famous Flea Trick. This is one of Margaret’s first books to be selected in 2011 for the Richard and Judy Children’s Book Club. As roles are allocated to both parents and children from the audience, it is clear that Margret has prepared for the fun element of her visit. She has even gone the extra mile by bringing in clothes and props to help dress up and bring to life each of the characters in her story.

The question and answer session that follows further explores Margaret’s journey as a children’s author. First question: how long does it take to get an idea transformed into a book? “It ranges from five to six weeks to a few months.” For instance, her Weird Street series was instigated while waiting at traffic lights. Margaret noticed the name Weird Street, consequently, her creative mind began exploring and questioning; who lives in Weird Street? Next: what is your favourite book? “That is a hard question because you end up liking all the characters including the baddies.” However, Margaret is fond of her Canterbury Tales series as they are personal stories which relate to her own children.

Clearly there are many joys of being a children's author; enabling her to write and still be involved with children. Margaret has also just finished her first book for adults. The event comes to an official end as the audience gives a big round of applause. What a great fun event, leaving us all smiling with fond childhood memories. As families we depart, taking away fun reading ideas, I also feel inspired: to take back some fresh ideas into the classroom.

Review 2: Children's Bookshow: Kevin Crossley-Holland, Friday 21st October, 10.30am, Royal Exchange Theatre


There is a real sense of excitement as I arrive on a cool, clear October morning at the remarkable Royal Exchange. Children liven up the atmosphere as they scurry around in their red, green and blue school uniforms while enthusiastic teachers frantically direct them towards the theatre entrance.

As we settle into our seats, the lights dim and it’s so hushed you can almost hear a pin drop. Under the spotlight, the stage is set with what resembles a comfy lounge: we have a brown leather sofa next to a side table with a small pile of books spread across.

“Life is long and time is short,” begins Kevin Crossley-Holland, one of the UK’s most acclaimed children’s authors, in his reflective tone.

At the age of 70, Kevin has many stories to tell and retell as he explains the three stepping stones that led to him becoming a writer: “Moments that are key minutes in your life that bring me here to you.”

He admits he had never read a book until he was 11 years old. But it was an “electrifying” Saracen shield that transformed him to tune into his senses, allowing the object to tell him a story. The second stepping stone, which actually took Kevin by surprise, was an old pot he chose to keep in memory of his grandfather, only to later discover that it was a unique hidden treasure, a missing Anglo Saxon piece. Kevin’s passion to learn and speak Latin while studying at Oxford University directed him to his third stepping stone. In his own words, Kevin describes the sound of the Anglo Saxon language - “Like waves running up a stony beach” - making him fall in love with Anglo Saxon writing.

Kevin, a natural storyteller, sheds some light on his career journey. He steadily gives details about how he sacrificed his publishing job to camp in Iceland. This journey inspired him to spend the next four years writing and retelling the Viking myths. As each story unfolds and another one begins, Kevin takes us through a visual journey presented using a slideshow of images from Norway and Turkey. The faint background music further enables the audience to capture his imagination. Captivated by the image of the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul, formerly a masjid and church, Kevin explains how this visit inspired him to write his recent novel Bracelet Of Bones. During this visit he saw a carving of Viking runes leading him to write the story of Solveig, a Viking girl who makes her journey from Norway to Turkey.

Kevin now gives an avid reading from a passage in Bracelet Of Bones. His voice and calm manner leave the audience spellbound. It is amazing to see how the children, some astonished and some eyes glued to the centre spotlight, are all magically listening.

Kevin ends the event with some wise words of encouragement, “If you can make music with words and pictures with words, you can write!” He further adds that he will keep on writing stories: “I’ll never stop but I’ll be stopped by old age.”

Kevin is a truly extraordinary storyteller with a difference and The Children’s Bookshow presents a truly entertaining event. I leave comprehending that everything and everyone has got a deep hidden treasure - full of stories.

Nazia Bashir is a teacher of English in Lancashire with a keen interest in exploring diverse cultures. She also blogged for Manchester Literature Festival 2010.