Many of the most popular writers for children and young people will appear at this year’s Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival.

The line-up includes War Horse author Michael Morpurgo, writer of the His Dark Materials series Phillip Pullman, and author of the Roman Mysteries and Western Mysteries series Caroline Lawrence.

The programme also includes two writers recently shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, Gill Lewis, author of Sky Hawk, and The Office actor and writer MacKenzie Crook, pictured left, author of The Windvale Sprites.

Morpurgo appears at the Sheldonian Theatre to talk about how his novel War Horse has been adapted for the West End and Broadway stages and, most recently, into a Steven Spielberg movie.

Pullman appears at the Sheldonian Theatre, heading a panel to discuss Dickens’ impact on children’s literature. Also joining the panel are children’s thriller writer Christopher Edge, who recently published his latest work Twelve Minutes to Midnight, J D Sharpe, whose reworking of a Dickens classic Oliver Twisted has also just been published, and Dickens’ great-great granddaughter Marion Dickens-Lloyd.

Lewis, pictured right, appears with wildlife photographer and author Steve Bloom. The pair will be talking about the creatures that have inspired their work and the event will feature some spectacular illustrations.

Crook is best known for his roles as Gareth in The Office and as Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. His first book, which he illustrated himself, was released at the end of last year.

This year’s festival celebrates the 100th birthday of Peter Rabbit with Peter Rabbit’s Birthday Show and there is a session on this year’s Blue Peter Book Award featuring this year’s shortlisted authors Liz Kessler, Gareth P Jones, Simon Hart and Amanda Askew.

Also not to be missed are festival favourites Andy Stanton and Jeremy Strong with Laugh Your Socks Off Again, an hilarious hour of silliness as they share the latest about Mr Gum, Cartoon Kid, and The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog Goes for Gold. And comedian and author Charlie Higson and film-maker and author Frank Cottrell Boyce will be discussing James Bond, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Ian Fleming.

Award-winning writers Patrick Ness, Tim Bowler, Sally Nicholls and Moira Young join a panel to discuss how young adult fiction is tackling some of the big life-and-death issues.

The festival also welcomes lots of children’s illustrators and writers including Korky Paul, Emma Dodd, K A Gerrad, Helen Nathan, Laurane Marchive, Axel Scheffler, Giles Andreae, Janet Cronin, Mei Matsuoka, Layn Marlow, Joanne Harris, Andy Briggs, Chris Wormell, Andrew Weale, Derek Landy, Tamara Macfarlane, Gilbert Giggles, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Jeanne Willis, Penelope Harper, Simon and Alex Scarrow, Katherine Rundell, Kristina Stephenson and Clare Beaton.

Details about all these events can be found here.

 

 

 

 

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