So for the third time in as many months I’m away from home for work. This time I’m in south Wales to tell The Twits. As I write this it is almost 2am on Monday morning and I have recently arrived at my waterfront Premier Inn (the room is reminiscent of the rooms in Sheffield, Hemel Hempstead, Poole and just about every other Premier Inn I’ve ever stayed in!). The original plan had been that Lauren, VBz and I would come down together but a combination of circumstances (those being that I worked on Saturday and am working in Horsham on Wednesday and that our camper van is in the garage being serviced) has meant that I am here alone although the cot in the corner of the room is already a constant reminder of the family I left in London.
It’s not my first visit to Swansea; I worked down here a couple of years ago when I was telling Terry Deary’s “The War Game”. I only did a day with the library service on that occasion but I have such fond memories of the library staff and the children we worked with that when the opportunity to return came up I jumped at it. Over two days I will work with Swansea Libraries and the Literacy Trust to deliver stories to five local primary schools.
The reason I’m so late is that I got the last train out of London. This was an interesting experience in itself. It took four and a half hours, which when I think about it means that had the van not been in the garage I could probably have actually driven here quicker. The people on the train were an eclectic bunch; the last train from London it turns out is also the last train from Bristol and Cardiff. What started out as a regular inter city service becomes the slow stopping service for revellers. Fall Down Drunk fell on in Cardiff and fell off in Neath. Then there were the colour runners still covered in powder paint and the anarchist sporting a pair of garish yellow tartan bermuda shorts. By the time I got off the train it was spitting with rain. I dashed past the bars and clubs of Wind Street over the sail bridge and into the hotel.
Anyway it’s getting late. Time to get some sleep and dream of what might be tomorrow…
Monday afternoon
Today was a lovely day.
I met with Carole Billingham from Swansea Libraries and Irene Picton from the Literacy Trust just before 8.30am. Carole is our host and chauffeur for the next couple of days. This makes a huge difference because not only does she understand the geography of Swansea so we won’t get lost but she also knows the schools we’re working with and the children recognise her during our visits. Like me, Irene is London based and is running the Young Readers Programme in towns and cities across the country. The programme is a brilliant initiative to encourage reading for pleasure rather than as just as a means for academia. At the beginning of each session Irene speaks to the group about their participation in the project and the children’s responses show that it’s been making a difference to their exposure to literature.
I have now told The Twits well over 150 times at schools, libraries and festivals across England and Wales (as well as Swansea I was in Conwy last July) as well as in Germany and the UAE but I never fail to find delight in telling it or seeing children finding the story for the first time. The three schools we visit are outwardly very different but at each we quickly discover a shared love of stories and an enthusiasm for the project. The feedback from the groups to my story is positive and enthusiastic (after the final presentation 50 children stay behind to watch me pack my suitcase!). I feel like the children I have met valued the work we have done but what’d be really wonderful is if as a result of the intervention today any of the children were inspired to visit the library or read the story for themselves. Unfortunately if this happens then I’ll only hear about it on the grapevine because my time in Swansea has flown by and all too soon I’ll be heading back to London.
So far Swansea hasn’t disappointed; the people are as warm as the glorious weather. I look forward to seeing what day two holds for us but for now though, it a lovely evening and I’m starving.
Tuesday evening – on a train back to London
Last night I had a wander into Swansea. I walked from the hotel over the Sail Bridge, past The Dylan Thomas Centre up to Swansea Castle before heading through town and down onto the beach. It has always struck me as very appropriate that the Civic Centre which houses the library overlooks the coastline. I’m sure Wales’ great writers and poets of the past would’ve found inspiration by gazing out the library window onto such an impressive vista. Stood on the beach looking out toward Mumbles or Port Talbot with the hills and town behind you it is simply awesome. After filling my boots with the scenery I headed back to Wind Street for dinner (that’s wind like curl although in a Welsh accent you’d be forgiven for thinking this street of many pubs, clubs and bars was aptly called Wine Street!).
Unfortunately the wifi in my hotel room wasn’t working so I went to the hotel reception to do some work. It turned out that the receptionist’s sister went to one of the schools we’d visited. Talk about a small world!
Today we visited two more schools and once again the children we met really responded to my storytelling. What’s been fascinating has been the way in which five very different groups of children and five different schools engage with the same story. Live presentation is often a unique experience for all concerned; sometimes a group of children will sit very quietly and listen very politely and sometimes you are thrown into the chaos of school life and end up chasing a child around the building with a water pistol!
So my flying visit to south Wales is over. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it which is good because I’ll be back next week to work with a sixth primary school we couldn’t squeeze in this week. Two days isn’t a very long time; it’s certainly not long enough to improve my Welsh pronunciation which is still woeful but I do feel I’ve made an impact. As I ride the train back to the big smoke I find myself in reflective mood. My involvement in the Literacy Trust’s Young Reader’s Programme although its been brief has highlighted a few things:
- Public libraries do wonderful and important work in their communities which is all too easily overlooked.
- The Literacy Trust’s programmes, with the support of businesses like Boots and WH Smith, really do inspire young readers.
- In spite of everything modern life may throw at children, they still value books and stories.
- Wales is fab-a-lous!
For the second time in a month I am en route to a literature festival. This time its a little closer to home but certainly no less exciting. I am going to be part of Guernsey Literary Festival.
Progress out of London was pretty painless. That’s great because VB had her second round of jabs this morning and we weren’t sure how she’d respond (the Nurse said she was a very brave girl). Lunch was at Fleet Services and tea (we say tea in Lancashire) was a Fish and Chip shop on Bournemouth beach. This was Verity’s first time on a beach and her first time in a fish and chip shop. Tomorrow will be her first time on a ferry. I’m sure if she could talk to us she’d tell us that she’s just as excited as we are as we head to the Channel Islands.
Our journey to Guernsey was pretty straight forward. We reached the ferry terminal in good time and the ferry actually departed early! Unlike the cross channel ferries I remember from my childhood, we had allocated seats. Verity was very patient and the other passengers took it in turns to coo over her during the three hour crossing. I find my daughter completely amazing and it was lovely to stand on the viewing deck and point out Brownsea Island and the Isle of Purbeck as we left Poole harbour. So what that she’s three months old and asleep as I did it, this was a special moment that I shared with just her.
Driving back into town is a lot easier than driving out was but Guernsey’s roads are narrow and I’m glad I don’t have to do any 3 point turns or that I meet any large vehicles coming the other way. Back in town we unload for the short walk into Castle Cornet only to discover I have parked on the wrong pier! With only 25 minutes before I am due to start I have parked the van a lot further than a pram will be able to travel at speed. Lauren waves me off and I leg it to the castle.
Today I don’t have an event but there are still things to do and after a slow start including some tent maintenance and washing up from last night we head into St Peters Port.
We spend the afternoon at Cobo Bay on the western side of the island. It is a long sweeping sandy beach broken occasionally by rugged rocks that jut out into the turquoise waters. The weather is absolutely incredible and as I type it’s too easy to forget that this is actually a work blog rather than an advert for Guernsey’s tourist board.
Something miraculous has happened in the market square and the Inner Market has become the Dahl wonderland described to me yesterday. There is Pin the Tail on Fantastic Mr Fox, George is demonstrating Science experiments, drawing with Matilda and Miss Honey as well as a Wonkavision photo booth and much more. It’s all very impressive and my hat goes off to the team that made it all happen overnight – a vision is one thing but the skills to execute that vision are invaluable.
The event goes well – as ever I’m super hyped to be in front of an audience and I tell the story perhaps a little faster than normal partly because I am aware that the tea party itself is waiting. At the end I am given another generous round of applause and the audience is whisked away by a colourful band of Dahl characters. 
So we head to Jerbourg Point for beautiful views of the Channel Islands. My contribution to the festival was actually only 55 minutes but I have enjoyed myself immensely and so have my family. The last few days will live long in the collective memory and as we watch the cruise ship heading out of the harbour it will soon be our turn to follow but one thing’s sure, I hope I’ll be back again soon.
Chris Riddell is an illustrator and author of Goth Girl and until June is the Children’s Laureate, a title previously held by among others Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen and Malorie Blackman. He had already visited a couple of schools and worked with over 500 children. When I arrived he was discussing his books and showing some of his wonderful illustrations. As someone who works in libraries a lot it was heartening to see that he makes himself so accessible (let’s be honest, Guernsey is off the beaten track) and that the final festival event was being held in the library. The young people he spoke to were entranced by his work and his craft and the queue for book signings snaked out of the room afterwards. For me the turnout confirms that so long as we have great storytellers there is a bright future for libraries. It was a perfect way for my experience of the Guernsey Literary Festival to come to finish.
Next weekend we’re heading to 
Its been a funny old month. After 
place). Nine weeks and a seven and half hour flight later I enter Dubai’s airport – gateway to the Gulf and beyond – shining out in marble and chrome (and that’s just the baggage hall!). From there we were whisked off to Sharjah’s Hilton Hotel and as I’m sat in the lobby staring up at a crystal chandelier I am still pinching myself – is this all a dream? Then I step outside the lobby into temperatures of 31-36oC – no, this is really happening.
Arriving at the Expo Center I am met by a security cordon. There’s royalty attending the opening of the festival and the organisers aren’t taking any chances. Today I’m telling 
My workshops, morning and afternoon, were well received but it is all a steep learning curve here in Sharjah. I am always pretty dynamic when I tell stories but in front of a largely arabic speaking audience I have to become even more demonstrative and am already wondering how my proposed Shakespeare session will go down on Friday night.
I open my curtains to another day of sun but the superb mosque on the other side of the lagoon reminds me this isn’t La La Land.
Once I’m finished I flit between workshops helping out where I can (drawing with children who have learning difficulties and pretending to be a rabbit in a book workshop). I do this because the other workshop leaders have been at my session to support me, joining in so that the children have somebody to copy. It seems like a really simple thing but its tough work when your audience/participants don’t really understand what’s going on. The support of the other facilitators is invaluable to the success of the sessions.
After a dip in the pool and exchanging messages with home (I miss Lauren and VB and am looking forward to seeing them in a few days time) I’m back in the Expo Center. My afternoon time slot is quite close to prayer time so numbers in the hall are thin but with my colourful jacket and another game of Follow my Leader I am soon the Pied Piper leading the children toward my session. Over the next 30 minutes lots of children and families brave the water and stick their heads in on what I’m doing. It seems that The Mad Hatter is visual enough and interactive to hit the right notes for this event. With this in mind and with concerns about my Shakespeare presentation I take the decision to host a tea party again tomorrow evening!
When I finish my session I go out into the Expo to look at what other people are doing. There are flight simulators, Lego building, book and toy stores, jugglers, acrobats, marching bands and much much more – you couldn’t possibly see it all.
Friday is prayer day in Sharjah which means the festival opens at 4pm giving us enough time to visit Dubai. The hotel shuttle bus drops us near the metro from where we go to the Dubai Mall to see the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world). From the viewing levels you can see that Dubai has just about every type of tall building ever imagined and that the growing city is surrounded by sand. Its a bit mind boggling to consider what man has achieved in a very short space of time and in such harsh landscape.
Day three represents the halfway point in my trip. I still can’t believe that this is really happening and I count myself very lucky to have this opportunity to be a part of what is a tremendously prestigious event. I remember being asked to participate in Shrewsbury Children’s Bookfest and then the CityRead 2014. At the time these were big, big deals for me after years of hard work but being in Sharjah this week is incredible. The facilities are amazing but its the people who make it. The people here are really friendly and couldn’t do enough to help you. Often what they lack in the way of English comprehension they make up for in sheer enthusiasm for life. The other facilitators too, are very supportive and ultra talented. I’m rubbing shoulders with some very inspiring people.
I think that I’m relaxing into a routine of workshops and 5 star hotel life but I can’t wait to see Lauren and VB on Saturday. I had a dig in my bag and found one of VBz rattles and a book of nursery rhymes (*sigh*).
water and anarchy. We ran and danced and conga lined through the festival; we caused chaos and they loved it. At one stage in my presentation they were three deep at the door, with faces pressed up against the windows and when we finished it took 10 minutes for the families to get all the photos they wanted with me. The children loved taking part and it really felt like we provided something that was genuinely fun that will inspire the learning of English. In short a job well done. I hope that tomorrow, my final day in Sharjah, will be just as memorable.
Saturday morning. My final day in Sharjah. Last night I slept with the curtains open and was woken by the sunrise. It was a bit misty but still rather lovely.
It’s now after midnight. My final presentation went well and I have waved farewell to the expo center for the final time. In some ways its a case of just about getting the ropes then having to leave. I know its for the best though, in 25 hours time I’ll be back in blighty with Lauren and VB and this evening just showing somebody a picture of VBz almost had me in tears. Saying this hindsight is an amazing thing; if I knew before all that I know now eh? On Monday I’ll be with Merton Libraries telling 
The ladies at the expo gave me a little parting gift (a model camel) and 
2016 has been another breakthrough year for me with more presentations in more places to more people than ever before. My year was dominated by 
May-October 2017 – NEW!! Jeremy Strong’s “One Hundred Mile an Hour Dog”.
All that remains for me to say is a big thank you to my beautiful wife for tolerating another year of chaos (although next year’s 
From 1st June 2016 I am telling 
All the World’s a Stage! has been approved by Arts Council England’s panel (which included the Royal Shakespeare Company) for inclusion in the Celebrating Shakespeare 2016 project.