Press 2021
For information on the 2021 festival please email sarahsamwebb@gmail.com
Press Release | 19 OCTOBER 2020
WONDERFEST
In association with Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire
Celebrating Irish Children’s Books 2020
20th-22nd November
NEW IRISH DIGITAL CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED
28 events featuring over 60 artists
Celebrating Irish children’s books, Wonderfest is a brand new digital book festival taking place 20th-22nd November, boasting 28 events with over 60 artists – a wealth of Irish talent, including Eoin Colfer, Oliver Jeffers, Laureate na nÓg Áine Ní Ghlinn, Derek Landy, Paul Howard & Gordon D’Arcy, Judi Curtin, Chris Judge, Chris Haughton, Mary Murphy, Peter Donnelly,and many more. All events are LIVE (with some pre-recorded elements) – giving children all over Ireland (and the world!) the chance to interact with favourite writers and illustrators, and in particular to engage with new Irish children’s books published during 2020. This innovative event will be Ireland’s first fully digital children’s book festival, and is being run by a crack team of children’s writers and illustrators, hand in hand with Irish publishers and bookshops and with the kind support of Children’s Books Ireland. A true team effort!
Wonderfest will kick off with a full day of school events and workshops on Friday 20th November, followed by a fun-filled weekend for story-loving children aged 0-12 and their families Saturday 21st-Sunday 22nd November, packed with all kinds of creative events for the whole family to enjoy together from the comfort of their own homes.
Among just some of the highlights will be chances to:
• Watch EOIN COLFER and OLIVER JEFFERS talk about their friendship and their books
• Join RTÉ sports presenters, JACQUI HURLEY and PAUL O’FLYNN for a special sports event
• Hear bestselling writers JUDI CURTIN, ANNA CAREY and NICOLA PIERCE bring history alive
• Draw on carrots with CHRIS JUDGE!
• Join PETER DONNELLY, author of the bestselling The President’s Glasses for some DEAD ZOO fun
• Join GORDON D’ARCY, PAUL HOWARD and illustrator ALAN NOLAN for a very special event featuring their new book Gordon’s Game: Blue Thunder
• Ask DEREK LANDY all those burning Skulduggery Pleasant questions
• Draw mermaids with SHEENA DEMPSEY and NICOLA COLTON
• Listen to stories of monsters and robots in MONSTERS INK with SHANE HEGARTY and PÁDRAIG KENNY
• Design your own shape characters with ASHWIN CHACKO
Plus
• In the FIND BOOKS OF WONDER event parents can ask book experts LORRAINE LEVIS and SARAH WEBB and a host of children’s booksellers and reviewers for book recommendations
• Another one for grown-ups, budding children’s writers and illustrators can find out all about making books for young readers in our PROPERBOOK live webinars with editors and agents
• Sensory storytelling with SADHBH DEVLIN
• Dual language IRISH/ENGLISH events
• BABY BOOK CLUB with CHRIS HAUGHTON and MARY MURPHY
And much, much more!
The books accompanying the events – some signed by the writer and/or illustrator – can be purchased and posted out to children by Wonderfest’s partner bookshops.
Sarah Webb of the Wonderfest Events Team, says, “This year many of the major festival were cancelled and both readers and writers miss them terribly. In September during a virtual coffee morning run by Children’s Books Ireland, twelve children’s writers and illustrators made a decision: we’d band together to create and run a completely digital family book festival – that way it would happen come what may. And from that spark of an idea Wonderfest grew. It’s been a real pleasure working with the festival team and we can’t wait to share our events with children and families in November!”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION & BOOKING
For further information: please see www.wonderfest.ie
Booking opens on 2nd November via Pavilion Theatre website www.paviliontheatre.ie
Instagram: @wonderfestireland #Wonderfest2020
Twitter: @wonderfestIrel1 #Wonderfest2020
MEDIA INFORMATION
Please contact Stephanie Dickenson: 087 993 7650 stephaniedickenson12@gmail.com.
Many of the Wonderfest festival team and speakers are available for interview including Sarah Webb, Patricia Forde, Judi Curtin, Shane Hegarty and Alan Nolan.
High quality images can be downloaded below.
Right-click to download.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PAVILION THEATRE
KINDLY SUPPORTED BY CHILDREN’S BOOKS IRELAND
