His secret is… he doesn’t ‘Poop!’ - March 27 - 1.37pm - 2022

Myles and Greg McLeod create fantasy Knights

Now here’s the thing… My fantasy knight, created solely by me, in under two minutes, bore the following characteristics - * His name Christian name was Felix * His surname was Wiseguy * His home was a bus station * He lived in Patagonia * His colour was red * He looked like a lobster * And his very super-secret secret was he loved KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). These were the seven questions asked of the audience by brothers Myles and Greg McLeod who, incidentally, are pretty cool (BAFTA-winning filmmakers and authors specialising in illustration, writing and 2D animation). The answers to these questions then allowed the two brothers to create, in front of our very eyes, our own fantasy knight. Except mine. Naturally the audience was made up of 6 to 10 year olds (dammit) and naturally the brothers exclusively asked them to describe their creations while mine was…overlooked. Yet despite this petty oversight, this was precisely what the doctor ordered. Fantastic fun. The brothers are not surprisingly a first-rate double act and immediately connected with their audience. Indeed, because I glanced at my watch, I can call it; four seconds was all it took to get everyone giggling. Events like this once again underline the fact that while this literary festival is primarily serious and aimed at those of us unlucky enough to call ourselves adults, these kind of appearances are a much needed shot in the arm. Delightful to both parent and child. And very, very feel good.