Inaugural children’s literature festival to be held in WA

A new festival celebrating children’s literature and arts will be held in Claremont, Western Australia from 9-13 May.

The inaugural Scribblers Festival is conceived by WA arts advocacy organisation FORM in collaboration with the Town of Claremont, and will be directed by former Perth Festival Writers Week program manager Katherine Dorrington. The sessions will be held in and around the Goods Shed cultural space at Claremont Station.

Authors announced for this year’s event include British illustrator and former UK Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, American novelist and screenwriter Jesse Andrews, Australian author Nicki Greenberg and English poet and children’s author A F Harrold.

The festival program will consist of a three-day primary and secondary schools program, and two days of free events for families, including a special Mother’s Day event. Festival manager Maria Alessandrino said the program will also feature a workshop series, hands-on activities and live art.

‘We’re creating a festival that is accessible to many, a festival that places storytelling at the heart of cultural life and can demonstrate to children and families the value of art and literature,’ said Dorrington in a statement on the FORM website. ‘Through the experiences Scribblers Festival will bring to the community, we hope to offer the gift of thinking differently, imaginatively and independently; and also to show parents, carers, families and educators that this gift can be nurtured through the natural aptitude the younger generation has for experimentation, fun, and play with words.’

The full program will be announced on 1 March.

For more information, visit the festival website here.

Category: Festivals Junior Local news