Eeyore’s birthday in

Nailing an impromptu birthday celebration is way more difficult than nailing on a donkey’s tail, especially when the donkey in question is Eeyore, one of the gloomiest children’s literature characters of all time. When the animals of the Hundred AcreWoods realise they’ve forgotten Eeyore’s birthday, they try to make amends with makeshift gifts – a balloon that subsequently bursts and a honey pot that ends up empty. But all ends well, and Eeyore unexpectedly sees the best in his two presents. Although the Disney version features an actual party, the message in this children’s classic is loud and clear: a birthday celebration is what you make of it.

The Flying Party in

“the longest and most destructive party ever held”. The party is in its fourth generation and the partygoers never leave. They include an array of eclectic invitees from Thor to pterodactyl aliens. Entry is restricted to only those who bring party supplies with them. The intergalactic bash featured in the third book of the series is also a part-time riot and planets are plundered for an endless supply of avocado dips and crackers. With parties like this, the future doesn’t look so bad after all.

Mrs Dalloway’s soirée in

VirginiaWoolf’s modernist masterpiece follows a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway – the perfect hostess and society darling. In a break from