Chester stages its first ever children’s literature festival with Gobbledeebook

Oct 21 2010 Chester Chronicle, Flintshire Chronicle

CHESTER youngsters will be spoilt for choice this half-term as the city stages its first ever children’s literature festival.

Goobledeebook has been specially created to coincide with the school break and to complement the Shell Chester Literature Festival with events targeted at children and teenagers.

The programme lasts for the whole week and has been put together by two new artistic directors, Chester resident Jessica Egan and author Caroline Smailes.

Jessica said: “It’s great to have the opportunity to introduce some events that are purely for children, where grown-ups take the back seat.

“It’s a great way for children to interact with literature, whether that’s meeting their favourite author or having a go themselves.”

Caroline added: “The events don’t take on the usual formal structure of the adult events in the literature festival and are much more interactive and messy, perfect for kids!

“With dressing up, making magic potions with dragons’ eyeballs and a monster drawing workshop, it will be fun all the way.”

The Gobbledeebook festival starts on Saturday, October 23, and runs until Saturday, October 30, and features 26 events.

The team and the Gobbledeebook monsters will take over St Mary’s Centre for the duration. As this is a new festival, for this pilot year there is an introductory price of £1 per child per event, with grown-ups allowed in for free.

Gobbledeebook is the place for you during the October half-term if you want to:

Travel in time with Doctor Who!

Hear authors telling you gruesome tales of ghosts and vampires that are guaranteed to make you sleep with the lights on.

Join one of the most popular magicians in the country as he wows with magic.

Find out how award-winning authors turn dreams and real-life experiences into stories.

Meet trolls, Doctor Who baddies and hygienically challenged characters.

Put on your pointy hats and cloaks and learn about spooky spells and weird and wonderful magical creatures.

Take part in a drawing workshop to create characters which will scare and horrify.

Create your own teeny tiny books and explore rubber stamping, stitch and collage.

Try your hand at performance poetry.

Take part in a traditional South African physical storytelling workshop.

Cook up magic spells.

Tickets and further information can be found by visiting www. gobbledeebook.com, telephoning 0845 2417868 or visiting the tourist information centre by Chester Town Hall.