The Barnes Children’s Literature Festival is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by launching its largest-ever London Primary Schools Programme, offering over 15,000 free places to pupils at state maintained primary schools in the capital.
The festival, which is delivered by over 150 volunteers, will provide 27 author and illustrator events linked to the curriculum, held over nine days. These will start with an event featuring Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, held at The Rose Theatre in Kingston on 20th May.
The Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith will open its doors for the festival’s school programme, while the Battersea Arts Centre will provide 1,800 new free places for primary schools in Battersea, Brixton and Lambeth.
The schools programme will launch its booking link to teachers on 22nd February, featuring guests like Cressida Cowell, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Vashti Hardy, Dapo Adeola and Sharna Jackson, as well as S F Said and M G Leonard, among others.
Director Amanda Brettargh said “great pride” comes from delivering the free literature festival, which received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021. “At Barnes we believe in the magic that happens when children meet the authors and illustrators they love and the lasting impact that this can have,” she commented. “Because we believe that every child should have this opportunity, we provide our Primary Schools Programme free to every state-maintained school in London.”
The festival is presented in partnership with St Paul’s School, the University of Roehampton and Waterstones, which will act as bookseller.
The London Primary Schools Programme will be followed by the festival’s public weekend beside Barnes Pond on 22nd and 23rd June, with over 100 author events, workshops, performances and free activities.
The full programme will be announced before tickets go on sale in April.
