A choice selection of events on Friday! There are two of the biggest names in children’s literature coming to our Sidney Stringer showcase theatre. A local hero, in every sense of the word, demonstrating his in depth knowledge of our city and a fantastic party for young readers to show we have not forgotten them!
So starting with the little ones, we have Captain Beastlie’s Pirate Party at Hollyfast Primary school with author Lucy Coats, who has a wonderful event planned with storytelling, sea-shanty-singing and learning to speak like a pirate! Captain Beastlie’s Pirate Party is wonderfully illustrated by Greenaway Medal shortlisted illustrator Chris Mould. Lucy w
orked as a children’s editor and bookseller before turning to full-time writing, and is the author of more than twenty-five titles for all ages, including Atticus the Storyteller’s 100 Greek Myths which was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award. She lives in the countryside with her husband, two children, three lunatic dogs and ten thousand assorted books. She is also a regular blogger and tweets as @lucycoats. Her website is http://www.lucycoats.com. Lucy would (secretly) like to be a pirate captain and sail the seven seas, but her family will only allow her to let out her inner Skull and Crossbones when the moon is blue, or on every seventy-fourth Wednesday. This sometimes makes her grimsome and growly!
One of the things whch makes Literally Coventry Book Festival 2014 so special is that, in the build up to the Festival, we have been enjoying a special project courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Books. Literally Coventry Reads Kevin Brooks has seen every sch
ool and public library being given free copies of The Ultimate Truth: a Travis Delaney Mystery
, the new book from the critically acclaimed and current Carnegie Medal shortlisted author. (In fact the announcement of the 2014 Carnegie Medal is on Monday June 23 and so Coventry is keeping everything firmly crossed for “our” author!) Unlike the Carnegie shortlisted novel The Bunker Diary, which is very definitely for older readers, The Ultimate Truth is the perfect book for older primary and secondary students alike. It has great male and female protagonists and the tense and exciting plot will keep adults gripped too. It is one the whole family can enjoy. Kevin is making an extended visit to the city and the first event is at Sidney Stringer. A celebration of the Literally Coventry reads projet and a unique opportunity for students who have read the book to have a dialogue with the author about the creative process and to ask “What happens next?”
Let’s hope that friday is a lovely sunny June day so we can make the most of Walking Backwards- a local history walking tour of the City centre in the company of Pete Walters, author of the The Story of Coventry. 
This beautifully illustrated book traces the evolution of the city, from the myths of Godiva, through to the issues, challenges and opportunities facing it in the twenty-first century. Exploring Coventry’s heritage through records, architectural developments and anecdotes, it reveals a fascinating and much misunderstood city, whose history is often overshadowed by its bombing during the Second World War. Peter Walters, well known for his numerous newspaper features and active role in local heritage, shows that there is a great deal more to the history of Coventry than first meets the eye. The walk will conclude at Sovranos Cafe in the precinct where some well earned refreshment can be purchased and you can get signed copies of Pete’s book.
In the afternoon there is great excitement at Sidney Stringer. We are very fortunate indeed to be a stop on the national tour of author Eoin Colfer, who has recently been announced as the new Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature. Sales of Eoin Colfer’s bestselling Artemis Fowl series have 
surpassed 20 million copies worldwide. Other best sellers include Half Moon Investigations, The Supernaturalist, Airman and The Legend of ….. books. His brilliant new series WARP is out now. W.A.R.P. The Reluctant Assassin was the first thrilling book in his steam-punk, time-travel, adrenalin-fuelled adventure series. A brilliant combination of action, adventure, Colfer’s trademark wit, and a villain to die for, the W.A.R.P. series is Oliver Twist meets The Matrix. Buckle your seatbelt, sit back and enjoy the ride. Two actors will be accompanying Eoin and they will interject during the session, helping to bring the wold of W.A.R.P to life and will take the parts of various characters from WARP. It will be a highly interactive event and they will really get the children involved in the action, bringing some children up on stage to help perform Victorian magic tricks. For more information on Eoin go to his website at http://www.eoincolfer.com
Kevin Brooks also has an extra special engagement on Friday evening! The centre of the mystery at the heart of The Ultimate Truth is a boxing club and it is an amazing young (female)boxer who teams up with Travis to solve the mystery. The young members of Christ the King Boxing Club have also been reading the book. They are laying on a boxing exhibition for Kevin and their families and then they have the chance to tell Kevin if he has got the boxing club details right! A brave author indeed!
We hope they are gentle with him because he has a busy day on Saturday too!
Literally...Coventry Book Festival 