YOUNG READERS
There’s so much on offer at next month’s Somerset Celebration of Literature festival. Here are 13 of our top picks that you must do.
forward to Year 3 student Eliana Brienza looks the Somerset Celebration of Literature
1 Prologue Party – The bookshop is open and the authors are here. It’s an opportunity to meet some of Australia’s best authors and illustrators while dressed as your favourite book. The Hardback Café is open for dinner so visit with friends and family and then stay for the fireworks.
2 Young Writers’ Dinner – On Thursday, March 15, take a seat at a table filled with some of Australia’s best-selling kids and young adult fiction writers including Chris Collins, Tim Harris, Claire Christian, Kate O’Donnell, Noel Zihabamwe, Will Kostakis, Jaclyn Moritarty and Jessica Watson (pictured) and spend the evening workshopping and learning all about the written word.
3 Bring out your best: Refine your creative writing workshop with author Will Kostakis. The best writers say writing is rewriting, so join Will on Wednesday, March 14, as he shares the editing tips and tricks to elevate your writing in a fun, collaborative exercise.
4 Author Chris Collins visits Gertrude and Henry Book Shop in Mudgeeraba. Pop-in and visit the much-loved book store to hear from local author, Chris Collins on Saturday, March 17, from 9.30am.
5 Lyrics, scores and more on
Saturday, March 17, at the NightQuarter – The Somerset Celebration of Literature partners with the NightQuarter to bring families of the Gold Coast a night of celebration and entertainment by local student writers and performers. The State winners of the National Song Writing Competition will perform and the National Winner will be announced. Stay and enjoy the wonderful St Patrick’s Day celebrations – it’s great fun for all the family!
6 Colour Wonder with
Peter Carnavas: Literature magic will also touch the northern end of the Gold Coast with Helensvale Library to be transformed by the Colour Wonder with Peter Carnavas art exhibition. From March 5 to April 15, visitors will be able to see Carnavas’ books come to life through a beautiful series of work from his children’s books. Visitors can interact with the author through workshops and tours offered on Tuesday, March 13 and Saturday, March 17, where Carnavas will share his passion for the craft of illustrating and discuss his work in greater details.
7 Evolution of Storytelling:
Visitors to the festival will also be treated to an intimate panel session with the author and producers of Grace Beside Me (pictured) at the Evolution of Storytelling session, which will see Gold Coast Film Festival CEO Lucy
Fisher host author Sue McPherson alongside producers, Dean Curtis and Lois Randall, to discuss the evolution of storytelling from novel to new children’s TV drama series.
8 Meet and hear from your
favourite authors! There will be a host of sessions with some of Australia’s leading authors, so head along to an author session and hear from the lineup including Jackie French, Jessica Watson, Tim Harris, Kari Gislason, James Roy, Will Kostakis, Rebecca Johnson (pictured) and Nevo Zisin.
9 Meet Jacqueline Harvey’s brand new characters, Kensy
and Max, as they arrive under a covert operation at this year’s festival – they will be at the College’s Towers Quad on Wednesday, March 14, at 12.15pm. You won’t want to miss this spy-tastic event of mystery and adventure.
10 Love writing and sport? Join soccer star and award-winning journalist Joe Gorman for a Q&A session at the Gold Coast Student Hub on Thursday, March 15, at 5.30pm. Joe will provide an insight into career pathways that has seen him go from sports journalist to publishing his first book, The Death and Life of Australian Soccer.
11 Learn how to create fun and memorable characters: good guys, bad guys and everyone in between. Join Jaqueline
Harvey, the author of the Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series on Wednesday, March 14, at 9.30am to explore character development; from devising a biography to coming up with excellent names and placing your characters into some sticky situations. Learn to create heroes, villains and sidekicks that readers will love.
12 Head to the Building Blocks of Storytelling workshop with R.A. Spratt, author of Friday Barnes, Girl Detective and The Adventurers of Nanny Piggins.
The gifted writer has also written for so many TV shows she can’t remember what they are all called. She will show you how to assemble the building blocks of a story on Thursday, March 15, at 9.30am.
13 Collect autographs from your favourite authors at the Book Shop at Somerset College throughout the festival.