With an entry fee of £1 for each event, the festival aims to make the joy of reading accessible to all.
This year, the festival has an exciting line-up of authors and illustrators hosting a range of events catering to children aged 0-12.
Hannah Gold, Rob Biddulph, Onjali Q Rauf, Jenny McLachlan, Katie Kirby, Jasbinder Bilan, Tola Okogwu, Ed Vere, Sarah McIntyre, Philip Reeve, Clare Helen Welsh, Louie Stowell, and Neill Cameron are just a few talents fans can look forward to.
AF Steadman, the author of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling Skandar series, has become the first Patron of the festival.
She said: “I’m really honoured to be the first patron of the St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature.
“The work Simon Pollard and his team are doing is simply vital at a time when encouraging reading for pleasure has been more important than ever.
“It’s a privilege to be supporting a festival with both improved literacy and book-filled fun at the core of everything it does.”
The festival’s programming offers something for everyone.
Events range from interactive picture book readings, crafts workshops, storytelling sessions, and a cat disco to author-led discussions, writing workshops, cartoon drawing workshops, and panels about nature writing and world-building.
Graphic novel fans can attend a comic strip workshop by Neill Cameron.
Throughout the festivities, children will encounter an intriguing array of characters from timid bears to brave heroes, mega robo bros to tricksy fairies, and monsters to Norse gods.
The aim of the festival is not just to entertain but to celebrate reading’s transformative impact on children’s life outcomes.
A dedicated Schools Day on June 28 will see events hosted for more than 2,000 students.
Public programmes will take place on the weekend of June 29-30.
The full event schedule can be viewed online, with tickets available to book through the Cornish Riviera Box Office’s website at www.crbo.co.uk.
