Ahead of the Crystal Palace Children’s Book Festival, Jez Sands spoke to the event founder and illustrator Alex Milway, about the importance of images in children’s literature and how this will shape his festival
In a bid to modernise book festivals, illustrator Alex Milway is launching an event for children in Crystal Palace which will focus on pictures just as much as words.
As well as the standard book readings and author signings, the Crystal Palace Children’s Book Festival will feature a myriad of activities, from monster making and horror art workshops to comic-drawing masterclasses from acclaimed, but sadly recently closed, children’s anthology comic The DFC.
“The main aim is getting kids interested in creating stuff,” said Alex of the festival programme.
“You can come along and take part and actually make something yourself, or you can go to the bookshop where every half hour there’ll be an author reading.
“It’s more like going to a music festival. You can stand in front of a stage and watch people you might not have heard of. You’ll get the chance to experience new things.”
The festival line-up started life as something very different, as Alex explains.
“I originally just wanted it to be an exhibition, but I noticed kids seem to get really excited about workshops which they could take part in and thought I’d try to turn it into a bit more of a day.”
With captivating children in mind, Alex designed the festival with a slant on illustration as he believes this is a great way for children to get involved in books and art and hopes this will eventually stimulate kids to read more.
He said: “It’s something they can relate to. Pictures are such a great way of immediately getting stories across without getting caught up in words and once you find you like stories, words become more relevant.”
With the adaptation of award-winning graphic novelist Neil Gaiman’s work into movies (Stardust and the soon to be released Coraline) and the mainstream movie success of adult graphic novel Watchmen, new doors are opening for children’s novelists as well.
“It’s becoming more accepted in schools now”, he said about the growing mainstream popularity of the comic book genre. “Manga’s really huge and kids are really responding to them and you’re seeing successful children’s series such as Artemis Fowl and the Young James Bond being made into graphic novels.”
He added, “Comics shouldn’t be frowned upon, I don’t think it cheapens them or makes them younger, it’s just a way into reading.”
The Crystal Palace Children’s Book Festival. April 24 to April 26. Upper Norwood Library, Smash Bang Wallop and The Bookseller Crow.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here