Festival’s family fun to get children into reading

There’s an exciting events programme for children at this year’s Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival with festival organisers promising shows that will keep little ones engaged and entertained for hours!

The latest addition to the programme is a Where’s Wally? hunt on Saturday 25 October. The popular kid’s character and his friends will be hiding in Number One Riverside – all you have to do is search for the clues and find them!  Places are free and no booking is required.

On Friday teatime there’s a puppet show by ventriloquist and magician John Piper. Also free the show promises lots of fun and audience participation!

On the Saturday, Gill Parnell Jackson will be introducing the concept of Magic Carpet Yoga, combining adventurous stories from around the world with simple yoga, relaxation and breathing techniques.

Award winning poet and performer Mark Gwynne Jones presents ‘Wordworms!’ a fast and funny showbased on his new collection for young readers.  On Sunday there’s an Afrocats dance workshop as well as a Kala Sangam – a storytelling dance performance for children and their parents with musical accompaniment.

Literature Festival Director Punam Ramchurn said:

“We have some fabulous events to keep children of all ages entertained for hours.  Most of the shows are free and none are more than £2 a ticket, so we’ve tried to keep it as affordable as possible for families to enjoy the festival. It’s another great excuse to visit our children’s library too.”

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

The festival is due to the generosity of Annie and Frank Maskew, a Rochdale couple who shared a passion for reading and thinking, who originally met in Rochdale Library. They left a sum of money to be used on resources and events related to literature and philosophy to ensure classic works are available for future generations.

Tickets are available from www.rochdaleliteraturefestival.co.uk or in person at the festival box office at Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside.

The programme is available in a variety of formats.  You can download it from the festival website www.rochdaleliteraturefestival.co.uk, or view it day-by-day online. 

You can order a paper copy by emailing Rochdalelitfest@rochdale.gov.uk or pick one up free from your local library.