It is, without doubt, the biggest thing that’s happening. You can’t avoid it. All the hype, all the glamour – the years of planning, the long months of anticipation – every fabulous event, every stunning performance; the Bath Festival of Children’s Literature is only a couple of months away.
In the mean time you’ll just have to settle for the Olympic Games.
I know it’s not the same – but it will have to do. It’s not like you have to choose between them. London 2012 is now, Bath 2012 is later. You can do both. Besides, books and sport go together rather well. There are all sorts of books about sport – novels with football or hockey heroes and heroines, guide-books for learning how to take part in everything from athletics to water polo and fact books about every game that’s ever been played by anyone anywhere.
There’s a great book called What on Earth? Wallbook of Sport by Christopher Lloyd – all about the history of sport from ancient times to today and why us pesky humans are so obsessed with it all. Fascinating. Not only can you read it, but even better, you can meet the author – he’s coming to the Bath Kids Lit Fest on Sunday 30th September. There’s a sporty themed event for the littlies as well. Liz Frost tells the story of the Mr Men Sports Day on Saturday 6th of October. Games and words – perfect.
But, after the Olympics, you’ve seen enough running and jumping and throwing and rowing, there’s plenty more in Bath to choose from. And the list just got bigger. It was announced this week that the AMAZING Oliver Jeffers is going to be at the Festival on Saturday 29th. Go and see him talk about his brilliant books, Lost and Found, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Heart in a Bottle or his new story, This Moose Belongs to Me. He is one of my all time favourite artist and I will be there.
I will also be seeing Julia Donaldson and Anthony Horowitz. I’m going to book now so I don’t miss out. The Bath Festival of Children’s Literature might be weeks away but the big events tend to get sold out fast. So go online a reserve some places now – while the Olympics are on – between the Greco Roman Wrestling and the Shot Put.
Martin Brown
