A team of authors and poets will be visiting schools around the Island this week to set fire to children’s imaginations and inspire them to read and write.
National Story Day, kindly sponsored once again by Isle of Man Bank, is an established part of Manx Litfest, and this year will see eleven authors and poets visiting eighteen schools. Most of the visits will take place on Friday (September 26th), but this year the opportunity has arisen to have poet Mark Grist doing visits on both Thursday and Friday, while author Mark Lowery will visit Onchan School and King William’s College on Monday.
In addition to Mark Grist and Mark Lowery, the visiting authors involved are Philip Reeve, Sarah McIntyre, Donald Murray, Sara Crowe and 12-year-old Harri Sansostri, whose first book was The Little Dudes Skool Survival Guide, a book about coping with the step up from primary to high school. The local authors involved are Michele McGrath and Linda Mann, along with illustrator Jo Davies and poet Usha Kishore.
Manx Litfest gets underway today (Wednesday 24th) and runs through until Sunday, September 28th.
Jane Howland, Corporate Sustainability and Sponsorship Manager for the Isle of Man Bank, said: 'The schools day is such an exciting part of the festival, with a host of authors and poets looking to inspire the younger members of our community and support the legacy for which the Manx Litfest is so keen to establish; We were only too happy to once again support such a wonderful initiative'.
Festival Director John Quirk said: ‘National Story Day is a vital element of the festival each year, possibly our most important event. From the outset, we were keen to ensure a legacy from each Litfest, and what better legacy can there be than helping to encourage and inspire children of all ages to read more, and write more.
‘We are indebted again to Isle of Man Bank for supporting the schools day, but also for their continued sponsorship of the Poetry Trail, which is now up around Douglas for people to follow.’
Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children, said: ‘Manx Litfest sees top-name authors lift characters off the pages and bring them to life and inspire children to challenge themselves in their reading and writing. Thanks to the Isle of Man Bank, this is a great annual success story.’
The full schedule for this year’s festival can be seen on www.manxlitfest.com and printed programmes and event flyers have been distributed around the Island, including to bookshops and libraries. You can also keep up to date with the festival on www.facebook.com/manxlitfest and www.twitter.com/manxlitfest.
Manx Litfest is a registered charity (#1100) and has been supported each year by Isle of Man Arts Council and Culture Vannin, along with several corporate sponsors.
Photo - Last year's schools day featuring poet Craig Bradley (right) with Matt Knowles, Corporate Manager at Isle of Man Bank, sponsor of the National Story Day.
