Reading is Magic Festival launches inclusive festival with star-studded cast of best-selling authors and illustrators. 

Reading is Magic Festival: Monday 26 – Friday 30 September 2022 

“Every child has the right to have a planet to read on and see themselves reflected in a book.” Cressida Cowell  

It’s time to step into a world of creativity with the inspirational annual Reading is Magic Festival this autumn!  

The Reading is Magic Festival aims to promote creativity and connection through stories and shared experiences, creating content for ages 4 to 13 and beyond. 

Not only is the event completely free, it is entirely online so children and schools across the UK and globally can benefit from a world-class line-up of best-selling writers, poets and illustrators.  

Waterstones Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell and creator of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once, will introduce each day of the incredible line-up at this year’s event.

Organised by the prestigious Bath Children’s Literature Festival, this year’s third annual Reading is Magic Festival will be hosted by the brilliant Mwaksy Mudenda, a current Blue Peter presenter. 

She will present a five-day programme packed full of magical digital events that can be beamed straight into schools and homes, making it available for all to enjoy, wherever they may be. 

All events have been curated with young people in mind and to provide a free, inclusive and engaging resource for schools and families. 

Five themes, taken from Cressida Cowell's Waterstones' Children’s Laureate Charter have been woven throughout the week. Each of the events will address one or more of five of the points from the charter, declaring that ‘every child has the right to… be creative for at least 15 minutes a week, have a planet to read on, see themselves reflected in a book, have advice from a trained librarian or bookseller, and read for the joy of it’: a mission which is close to the hearts of all those involved. 

Bath Children’s Literature Festival has built a reputation for its strong commitment to inspiring an interest in reading in young people, as well as for its dedication to creating events that are as inclusive and accessible as possible. As a result, it has forged strong partnerships with national and international book festivals, to create this unique festival, which launched in 2020. This will be a truly international and diverse festival with events coming from countries as far afield as Canada, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, among others. 

The partnership of festivals and programmers is made up of Bath Children’s Literature Festival, Ake Arts and Book Festival, Toronto International Festival of Authors, Bocas Lit Fest, New Dutch Writing, Scottish Book Festivals Network and Empathy Lab. 

Inspiration for the festival name came from Cressida Cowell’s key message: ‘reading is magic, and magic is for everyone’ and this focus on inclusivity underpins the very essence of the festival. The award-winning children’s author and creator of How to Train Your Dragon, The Wizards of Once and new series, Which Way to Anywhere, plays a crucial role in the festival and her commitment to instilling a passion for reading in young people clearly shines through. 

The programme has also been thoughtfully designed to ensure that every young person is able to participate. All visual events have captions, a British Sign Language interpreter and the festival has worked with Bath-based The Egg Theatre’s young audio describers to advise the authors and illustrators on audio describing so that more children can enjoy them.  

Reading is Magic Festival has partnered with Calibre Audio to ensure that children who struggle to access print can enjoy the books that will be featured in the programme.

Schools and families are invited to register for free at readingismagicfestival.com.

Events will last between 15 and 30 minutes and will be broadcast on a schools-friendly platform. Schools can view events live in UK time or on demand afterwards. Online materials and resources will support each event and book buying opportunities will be sign posted. 

Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2019 – 2022 says: 

“I was delighted in 2020 when Bath Children’s Literature Festival was inspired by my Children’s Laureate Charter to create the Reading is Magic Festival in 2020 and that its success means that it’s now an annual event.  

“It’s always gratifying when an idea you have resonates with others, evolving and taking on a life of its own. I’m looking forward to the 2022 programme: the 2022 Reading is Magic Festival will continue to explore the themes from the Charter and will bring the magic of reading to life, with lots of opportunities for you to join in. 

“It’s wonderful that Reading is Magic Festival will be available, for free, to schools and families globally, so that anyone can experience the magic of books and reading. Research shows that reading for the joy of it has powerful, measurable real-life benefits that can transform lives. This ‘magic’ ought to be available to everyone.” 

Reading is Magic Festival is supported by Bath Recreation, Bath Business Improvement District, Kingswood School, BookTrust and Waterstones Children’s Laureate. 

Fun Kids Radio is a festival media partner and will be airing interviews with participating authors and illustrators and running competitions in the run-up to the festival.  

Listings information 

Each morning of the festival will be packed full of new exciting events and every afternoon we will be showcasing our favourite and most popular highlights from previous festivals.  

Events curated by Bath Children’s Literature Festival unless otherwise stated. 

 

Monday 26 September:  

• • 9:30am: Award winning author/performer, Gareth P Jones invites YOU to create, star in and solve a brand-new mystery based on his Solve Your Own Mystery books. Expect frenetic storytelling, live music, improvisation, werewolves, vampires, zombies… & the unexpected. (Ages 7-11) 
• • 10:30am: Join twice-Kate Greenaway Medal winning author illustrator Emily Gravett as she introduces her book Too Much Stuff which stars a couple of magpies. Emily will talk about how she works using inks and watercolour and will guide you in creating your very own birds! (Ages 4-7)  
• • 11:30am: Brought to you by Bocas Lit Fest, Zo and The Forest of Secrets by Alake Pilgrim is a fantastical adventure about friendship, the environment, survival, and protecting whom and what you love, set on the island of Trinidad. 
• • 1:30pm: A selection of handpicked archive events.

 

Tuesday 27 September 

• • 9:30am: In The Boy Lost in the Maze, a spellbinding novel told in poems, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. Expect powerfully resonant and enthralling poetry from a poet at the height of his power. (Ages 13+) 
• • 10:30am: Hear all about The Can Caravan, the latest picture book by renowned Romani storyteller Richard O’Neill, celebrating the traditional Traveller virtues of resilience, adaptability, loyalty and independence. (Ages 4-7, 7-11) 
• • 11:30am: An event beaming in from Scottish Book Festivals. 
• • 1:30pm: A selection of handpicked archive events.

 

Wednesday 28 September 

• • 9:30am: Experience We Sang Across the Sea by Benjamin Zephaniah & Onyinye Iwu. In this powerfully moving and beautiful picture book the hopes, dreams and bravery of the Windrush generation are expressed in a vivid story through the real-life experiences of Trinidadian musician, Mona Baptiste. (Ages 4-7) 
• • 10:30am: From the imagination of the bestselling author Sophie Anderson comes another folk tale of magic and belonging. Join Sophie on another magical adventure with her new novel, The Thief Who Sang Storms – a heartfelt story of grief, trust and love. (Ages 7-11, 11-13) 
• • 11:30am: Join an event hosted by Ake Festival all the way from Nigeria 
• • 1:30pm: A selection of handpicked archive events, including Talking Wild Woods with Cressida Cowell.

 

Thursday 29 September 

• • 9:30am: Learn to draw Manga with the team at Saturday AM comics! Saturday AM are a diverse network of artists from all over the world, who will be delivering drawing tutorials! (Ages 11-13, 13+)  
• • 10:30am: Join Sharna Jackson (PRH), Helen Rutter (Scholastic) and EmphathyLab as they share three creative empathy-boosting activities, which children can join in with during the session. (Ages 7-11, 11-13) 
• • 11:30am: Toronto International Festival of Authors brings us Canadian storytelling favourites Fay & Fluffy with their fabulous frocks, tremendous tales and scintillating songs! Join Fay and Fluffy as they spread their message of inclusivity, kindness and being proud of who we are. (Ages 4-7) 
• • 1:30pm: A selection of handpicked archive events

 

Friday 30 September 

• • 9:30am: Join Swapna Haddow and Dapo Adeola, the superstar creative duo behind the acclaimed My Dad is a Grizzly Bear, for a brilliantly funny, roar-tastic, interactive storytelling of My Mum is a Lioness, a warm and loving tale celebrating mothers! (Ages 4-7) 
• • 10:30am: Join award-winning author Kwame Alexander to discover more about his surprising and touching novel. The Crossover, told entirely through verse, is a fast and furious novel of family and brotherhood. (Ages 11-13, 13+)  
• • 11:30am: New Dutch Writing brings us the laugh out loud story of Popcorn Bob and his adventures in the Netherlands, causing chaos and solving mysteries. Enjoy Maranke Rinck reading from the hilarious stories and follow illustrator Martijn van der Linden who will teach you how to draw your own version of Popcorn Bob. 
• • 1:30pm: A selection of handpicked archive events, including M.G.Leonard and Michael Rosen.