For Schools

FREE for schools

We have something to make your class really come alive this Spring term. Take your pupils out of the classroom on an adventure to find out where the best ideas come from. This is a fantastic opportunity for you and your pupils to meet, hear and be inspired by the best of Scotland's children's authors and illustrators.

All our events are split into four themes, which we hope cater for every taste. Adventures in Words, focusing on different styles of writing: non-fiction with Allan Burnett, writing for television with Jonathan Meres, writing in Scots with Matthew Fitt and first-class fiction with Catherine MacPhail.

Adventures in Pictures

Fun and interactive sessions with some of Scotland's finest illustrators for children, including Teresa Flavin, Lindsey Gardiner, Moira Munro and Aileen Paterson.

Adventures in Words and Pictures

Creative workshops with authors who are also illustrators, showing children how words and pictures are combined into fabulous stories. Participating authors include Mairi Hedderwick, Catherine Rayner, Natalie Russell and last but not least the comic-book master, John Fardell.

Adventures in Stories

Outstanding children's authors Theresa Breslin, Cathy Cassidy, Catherine Forde, Keith Gray, Nicola Morgan and Alex Nye provide a glimpse into their imaginations, as well as sneak previews of forthcoming books.

And, to make things even simpler for you, we've shown you how attending a festival event fulfils the four capacities of the curriculum for excellence. Click here to see more

 

To book school events, call 0131 524 0160 

Call 0131 556 9576 for public events 

 

The Festival and the Curriculum for Excellence

Fulfilling the four capacities:

Successful Learners:

Attending an author event is an excellent way to stimulate your pupils' enthusiasm for reading - children are more motivated to read the work of an author they have met

Confident Individuals:

Meeting an author can be very effective in inspiring pupils' interes in an dambition for their own creative writing

Responsible Citizens:

Participating in a festival event is a great means of fostering your pupil' interes in participating in cultural life

Effective Contributors

Having the opportunity to ask questions and join in with activities during the ouse of an author event develops pupils' ability to communicate in different settings and will encourage them to work and interact creatively.

 

Author Residency Programme

As part of the festival, Scottish Book Trust is providing 5 Edinburgh primary schools with a writer residency. The aim of the residencies is to build pupils enthusiasm for reading and writing in a way that is fun and engaging.  Working with a group in such a focussed way, over the longer period that a residency allows, enables pupils to build their own interests, skills and creativity and develop confidence in their reading and writing, which will have a positive impact across the whole of their learning.  A class from each school will have the opportunity to work with an author to explore the themes of the festival in a depth:

  • Adventures in Words - Matthew Fitt will work with a class to explore functional writing in Scots through reporting
  • Adventures in Words - pupils will work with Simon Puttock to write their own story for younger children
  • Adventures in Pictures - Catherine Rayner and a class will work together to develop illustrated characters
  • Adventures in Stories - one class will work with Lindsey Fraser, Kathryn Ross and Pam Wardell to pick a great story for younger children and dramatise it
  • Adventures in Words and Pictures - children will work with John Fardell to write their own comics