Top children’s authors and illustrators thrilled 2000 Scottish pupils at a celebration event in Glasgow last week.The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour Jamboree took place at the city’s Royal Concert Hall to mark the 20th anniversary of the tour. The P4-P7 pupils from 22 local authorities were treated to a free, fun-filled day of reading, writing and drawing. The event is available to view on Scottish Book Trust’s YouTube channel.
Appearing at the event were: Jacqueline Wilson, author of Tracy Beaker; Chris Riddell, former Children’s Laureate; Cressida Cowell, author of How to Train Your Dragon; The Etherington Brothers, creators of comic Money Nuts; and Pamela Butchart, author of The Spy Who Loves School Dinners.
Pupils from Corstorphine Primary School had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Jacqueline Wilson.
The author said: “I was delighted to take part in the Scottish Friendly Jamboree. I think it’s a wonderful idea that children from all over Scotland are given the opportunity to come and hear authors enthuse about books and the importance of reading for pleasure.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Jamboree event was a wonderful opportunity to come together with authors, illustrators and pupils from across Scotland for an exciting day of reading, writing and drawing.”
2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the Children’s Book Tour, which is sponsored by Scottish Friendly, one of the UK’s leading financial mutuals, and organised by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing.
All of the authors and illustrators performing at the Jamboree have taken part in the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour in the past and were reunited for this once in a lifetime celebration event.
Over 70 primary schools from across Scotland applied to attend the Jamboree event, and travel bursaries were offered to help those schools from further afield. Schools across the UK were able to tune in and watch the event via live-stream on Scottish Book Trust’s YouTube channel.
The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book tour visits both primary and secondary schools, and has enthralled more than 100,000 children since it began in 1998. The tour will next visit venues in Bradford later this month with Chae Strathie, winner of the 2018 Bookbug Picture Book Prize for Gorilla Loves Vanilla.
Schools in the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland can apply now for a fully-funded event to take place in September with Andy Stanton, an award-winning children’s author and cartoonist.
Andy will inspire pupils by talking about his own journey to becoming an author, including hilarious examples of what he wrote when he was at school. He will also give pupils practical tips on using just one idea to start a story and what to do when you get stuck writing a story. The application deadline is Friday 22 June at 5pm.
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