If you’ve always wanted to write for children, or want to improve your craft, don’t miss out on this incredible day of talks with some of the UK’s leading authors and publishers. Hosted by children’s fiction author Laura Dockrill, the day includes expert advice from Philip Ardagh, author of The Grunts and winner of the Roald Dahl Funny prize, and Barry Cunningham, a publisher best known for signing up a little-known author called J. K. Rowling during his time at Bloomsbury.
Over the course of the day, you’ll soak up tips on everything from how to develop your own distinctive writing style to how to write for different age groups and – importantly – have fun while doing it. With sessions from award-winning teen writer Juno Dawson and Cressida Cowell, author of the hugely popular series How To Train Your Dragon, it’s the ultimate masterclass for anyone who wants to learn how to keep a young audience entertained by their storytelling.
Content
- Philip Ardagh, winner of the Roald Dahl Funny prize, discusses his love of children’s literature and gives advice on the challenges of “writing funny”, using his legendary humour, panache… and beard
- Publisher Barry Cunningham, who has worked with bestselling authors including J. K. Rowling and Spike Milligan, offers expert tips on how to get your writing into print
- Children’s writer Laura Dockrill, author of the much-loved Darcy Burdock books, shares advice on how to unlock creativity, find your “inner child” and develop a distinctive writing voice
- Juno Dawson, multi-award-winning author of teen thrillers such as Hollow Pike, offers guidance on the key differences between children’s, “middle-grade” and young adult writing
- Author-illustrator Cressida Cowell, whose works include the popular How To Train Your Dragon series, gives tips on how to write a series of books – plus how you can draw upon feedback from children to inform your writing
On the day, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase books by all authors at a discounted price
Host profile
Laura Dockrill is a writer, illustrator and performance poet whose work includes Lorali and the acclaimed Darcy Burdock books for children. In addition to her work as a writer and creative writing tutor, she’s been a roaming reporter for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and performed her work on Newsnight, BBC Breakfast and BBC Woman’s Hour. She tweets @LauraDockrill.
Speaker profiles
Philip Ardagh is the author of over 100 books, including Grubtown Tales and The Grunts. He has won the prestigious Roald Dahl Funny Prize, and is an instantly recognisable figure at literary festivals around the world due to his ridiculously big, bushy beard and size sixteen feet. He reviews children’s books for the Guardian and is currently developing a series for television. He tweets @PhilipArdagh.
Cressida Cowell has written and illustrated twelve books in the popular How to Train Your Dragon series, which has sold over seven million copies worldwide and is published in 37 languages. The series was turned into an award-winning Dreamworks film series of the same name, as well as a TV series shown on Netflix. Cressida’s other works include the Emily Brown series, and she has been the recipient of the Nestle Children’s Book Prize. She’s been a proud ambassador for the National Literacy Trust for almost ten years. She tweets @CressidaCowell.
Barry Cunningham is one of the most respected names in publishing, having worked with all the great names in children’s books including Roald Dahl and Spike Milligan. During his time at Puffin, he was responsible for the re-launch of Beatrix Potter, and at Bloomsbury he signed up J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. In 2000, Barry decided to start his own publishing company and the result was Chicken House, a lively and creative company publishing original children’s books, with a special emphasis on new fiction. In 2010, Barry received an OBE in recognition of his contribution to children’s literature. He tweets @BarryChicken.
Juno Dawson – formerly known as James – is the multi-award-winning author of dark teen thrillers including Hollow Pike, Cruel Summer and Under My Skin. In 2015, she released her first contemporary romance All of the Above, and this year she’ll launch a new non-fiction title, Mind Your Head, which covers everything a young person needs to know about mental health. This year, Juno will also author one of the World Book Day titles, Spot the Difference. She tweets @junodawson.
Details
Date: Sunday 20 March 2016
Times: 10am-4pm
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Price: £99 (includes VAT, booking fee, lunch and refreshments)
Event capacity: 100
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Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 14 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
