Jo Simmons writes funny fiction for primary school age children. Her books feature tales of wish fulfillment gone wrong, with regular kids propelled into irregular circumstances, and lots of laughs along the way. Her latest books include I Swapped My Brother on the Internet, which has won numerous awards, and My Parents Cancelled My Birthday, which came out in July 2019, both published by Bloomsbury.

Jo has been a children's author since 2012, and a writer all her life, originally for magazines, then later as a freelance journalist and content writer. She lives in Hove.

Join Jo Simmons to learn more about her latest books, I Swapped My Brother on the Internet and My Parents Cancelled My Birthday, with a session that includes activities, quizzes, audience participation and reading.

Live readings will bring the programmed activity in the children’s tent to a close each day with bedtime stories for young ones. Pyjamas and duvets welcome.

Read by Paul Blezard

Well-being Warriors is led by Shirley Marshall who brings Mindfulness, Mindful Yogi - Children’s Yoga, Walk15 and Laughter yoga,  to schools, colleges, communities, corporate business events and festivals. Shirley has a background in Primary teaching and school leadership and was also very passionate about supporting well-being for her pupils and staff alike.

Mindful Yogis – Children’s yoga and mindfulness.  This class is delivered via songs, stories, games and mindfulness.  It is aimed at ages 4-10 years but it is also fine for other ages, including the grown-ups, to follow along with the session too. Come along and join us for the massage train, down in the jungle and other great songs and activities that have yoga poses built in to them.

The Crab Prince is a seaside version of the Grimm Brothers traditional fairy tale ‘The Frog Prince’. Scuttle The Crab longs to be human. Can little Lucy help to make his dream come true? Should Scuttle The Crab be careful what he wishes for? Meanwhile, Marina The Marine Explorer needs some help to make life in the rock-pools good again for everyone. An original and beautifully crafted comedy show about friendship, home and the environment, with the chance for the audience to help save the day. Art materials provided.

Audience feedback, Brighton Festival 2019

‘Jo’s sense of humour is infectious and she’s got the knack of being able to make the show fun for young and old’

‘What a brilliant show. Loved the little craft interlude too and the kids still have their crabs!’

‘Hilarious. Haven’t laughed this much in ages. Oh and the kids really enjoyed it’

Live readings will bring the programmed activity in the children’s tent to a close each day with bedtime stories for young ones. Pyjamas and duvets welcome.

Read by Paul Blezard

This fun workshop by multi -award winning Young Adult writer, Paula Rawsthorne, will help you develop skills to write convincing, compelling characters. You’ll be conducting interviews with each other that will leave out the boring stuff and instead uncover unique personalities, wishes, dreams and fears. Then you’ll use this information to write a letter to apply to be their Super Personal Assistant where you’ll convince them that you can arrange the best day of their lives!

Her dark stories for adults have been published in anthologies of contemporary literature. Her first Young Adult novel, The Truth about Celia Frost, was a winner of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Undiscovered Voices. Published by Usborne, it was shortlisted foreleven literary awards and won the Leeds, Sefton and Nottingham Book Awards. Her second novel, Blood Tracks, won the Rib Valley Book Award. Paula’s short stories for teenagers have been commissioned by Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and published in an anthology of award-winning Young Adult authors. Paula’s third YA novel, Shell, published by Scholastic in 2018, won the North East Teen Book Award, The Derbyshire Schools’ Book Award and The Hampshire Book Award. Her latest Black Mirror-esque YA novel, The New Boy, was published this year.

Paula is invited to do author visits in secondary schools throughout the UK and is a writer in residence for the literacy charity, ‘First Story’. She lives in Nottingham with her husband and three children who are all much taller than her. 

Paula’s Creative Writing Workshops at Curious for age 11+

You can find Paula on her website

http://www.paularawsthorne.wordpress.com or on Twitter

http://twitter.com/paularawsthorne.

A storytelling magazine for children aged 7+. Boasting some of the biggest names in children’s literature amongst its contributors including Chris Riddell, Neil Gaiman, Catherine Johnson, SF Said, Jacqueline Wilson, John Agard, Michael Morpurgo and Ben Fogle. Full of stories, poetry, comic strips and quizzes there's something for every young reader within it's pages. 

Join the Scoop team as we explore everything that goes into the creation of a magazine whilst making your very own. As you fill your magazine with poetry, quizzes, comic strips and more you’ll learn all about the different ways stories on your chosen theme can be told. Whether you want to spread the word about climate change, creatures of the deep or maybe even your favourite football team, a magazine making workshop with Scoop is the perfect way to do so!

A storytelling magazine for children aged 7+. Boasting some of the biggest names in children’s literature amongst its contributors including Chris Riddell, Neil Gaiman, Catherine Johnson, SF Said, Jacqueline Wilson, John Agard, Michael Morpurgo and Ben Fogle. Full of stories, poetry, comic strips and quizzes there's something for every young reader within it's pages. 

Join the Scoop team as we explore everything that goes into the creation of a magazine whilst making your very own. As you fill your magazine with poetry, quizzes, comic strips and more you’ll learn all about the different ways stories on your chosen theme can be told. Whether you want to spread the word about climate change, creatures of the deep or maybe even your favourite football team, a magazine making workshop with Scoop is the perfect way to do so!

From the moment Murray Lachlan Young bounds onto the stage, hair wrapped in a towel, dressing gown flapping, you know you’re in for a good time. Best of all, he knows exactly what your average 6–10-year old is interested in – toilets, poo and death being three key subjects discussed during the show.

A raucous, silly, scary, funny, poignant and enlightening hour of merriment and mayhem, packed with dark tales and nonsense. A mixture of poetry, stand-up comedy, storytelling, a touch of panto – expect a hilarious and positive route to showing children that poetry can be fun, thought-provoking and even quite cool!

"One of the greatest children's entertainer's I have ever seen. Five stars.” THE SCOTSMAN

A storytelling magazine for children aged 7+. Boasting some of the biggest names in children’s literature amongst its contributors including Chris Riddell, Neil Gaiman, Catherine Johnson, SF Said, Jacqueline Wilson, John Agard, Michael Morpurgo and Ben Fogle. Full of stories, poetry, comic strips and quizzes there's something for every young reader within it's pages. 

Join the Scoop team as we explore everything that goes into the creation of a magazine whilst making your very own. As you fill your magazine with poetry, quizzes, comic strips and more you’ll learn all about the different ways stories on your chosen theme can be told. Whether you want to spread the word about climate change, creatures of the deep or maybe even your favourite football team, a magazine making workshop with Scoop is the perfect way to do so!

Live readings will bring the programmed activity in the children’s tent to a close each day with bedtime stories for young ones. Pyjamas and duvets welcome.

Read by Paul Blezard

This fun workshop by multi -award winning Young Adult writer, Paula Rawsthorne, will help you develop skills to write convincing, compelling characters. You’ll be conducting interviews with each other that will leave out the boring stuff and instead uncover unique personalities, wishes, dreams and fears. Then you’ll use this information to write a letter to apply to be their Super Personal Assistant where you’ll convince them that you can arrange the best day of their lives!

Her dark stories for adults have been published in anthologies of contemporary literature. Her first Young Adult novel, The Truth about Celia Frost, was a winner of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Undiscovered Voices. Published by Usborne, it was shortlisted foreleven literary awards and won the Leeds, Sefton and Nottingham Book Awards. Her second novel, Blood Tracks, won the Rib Valley Book Award. Paula’s short stories for teenagers have been commissioned by Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and published in an anthology of award-winning Young Adult authors. Paula’s third YA novel, Shell, published by Scholastic in 2018, won the North East Teen Book Award, The Derbyshire Schools’ Book Award and The Hampshire Book Award. Her latest Black Mirror-esque YA novel, The New Boy, was published this year.

Paula is invited to do author visits in secondary schools throughout the UK and is a writer in residence for the literacy charity, ‘First Story’. She lives in Nottingham with her husband and three children who are all much taller than her. 

Paula’s Creative Writing Workshops at Curious for age 11+

You can find Paula on her website

http://www.paularawsthorne.wordpress.com or on Twitter

http://twitter.com/paularawsthorne.