Young Readers UK 2001
The Young Readers UK festival is based in Birmingham and funded
for 3 years through an Arts Lottery grant. It aims to give children
and young people imaginative access to books, writers and the
reading experience and to provide a focus for the celebration
of books and reading. During the 2001 festival, over 16,000 children
and adults attended the 198 events held in 50 venues across the
city.
  Jacqueline
Wilson launches the 2001 Young Readers UK festival in Birmingham
This year’s festival was launched by Jacqueline Wilson —
the author most of the young people surveyed during the 2000 festival
wanted to meet. Although the event was fully booked, young people
without tickets were able to enjoy the event online via a live
webcast on the Young Readers UK website.
One of the features of the festival is an annual debate for year
10 pupils on a children’s book or library theme. This year
233 pupils from secondary schools across the city joined writers
Malorie Blackman and Melvin Burgess, publisher David Fickling
and Jonathan Davidson of Book Communications to debate the motion
"This house believes that no subject is too controversial
to be covered in a novel for young people". After passionate
arguments on both sides, the motion was overwhelmingly carried.
 Jenni
Walters launching her Party Girls series with Hodder Children's
Books at the Young Readers UK Big Bonanza Bookfair
The 250 children, parents and library staff from some of the
Stories from the Web clubs across the UK all had great fun when
they came to the festival to take part in The Reading Razzamatazz.
This gave them the chance to meet in the real world, some of the
poets (Nick Toczek & Ernest Henry), the writers & illustrators
(Julia Jarman, Shoo Rayner & John Byrne) and the storytellers
(Graham Langley) that they have met in the virtual world via the
website (www.storiesfromtheweb.org)
In partnership with the Library Association, this year saw over
100 librarians celebrating the Carnegie & Kate Greenaway shortlist
at a party held in Birmingham’s Centre for the Child, as
part of the Young Readers UK festival. In addition, almost 500
young people got their chance to meet and talk with some of the
shortlisted authors and illustrators during ‘Going for the
Gold’. The impact of this event can be seen on the video
produced for shadowing groups by the Library Association and is
summed up by a few of the many comments received from young people
who attended.
 Terence
Blacker and the celebration party with Macmillan Children's Books
for the launch of The Angel Factory and the ongoing success of
all his Ms Wiz titles at the Young Readers UK Big Bonanza Bookfair
"Thank you very much for organising the Going for Gold event.
My friends and I enjoyed it very much. It was a brilliant opportunity
to meet and listen to our favourite authors and it really added
an extra dimension to the books and the work we will be doing
around them in school. I am sure it was an enjoyable and informative
day for all involved". Helena
aged 14
"I really enjoyed the Going for Gold ceremony because of
the authors speaking so well and in such an explanative manner.
The speeches were so good it convinced me to buy 3 of the books.
I liked hearing Aidan Chambers speak and it was good to have a
former judge speaking. I was astonished at the tales behind the
books from the authors experience or childhood. I think Alan Gibbons
was the most amusing speaker. I felt that the event should have
been open to even more people, as it was so interesting and informative.
I hope you can arrange it next year." Peter
"I am writing to thank you for the very pleasant day that
you organised on 23 May. The day was clearly a success and I know
that you generated an enormous amount of interest in the people
that I spoke to and to myself. Thank you for the opportunity that
you have given to so many people." Pier
Annie Everall
Other Book World articles
Talk at Egmont byAnnie
Dalton 12 July 2001
Puffin's 60th Birthday
ClearVision Helping young
braille readers
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