WITH over 140 books published and 55 million views on his YouTube Channel, Michael Rosen, the number one selling children’s author, is all set to come to Westbury to perform some of his famous poems to KS2 pupils during the Westbury Festival in July.
The full details of ‘Kids Poems and Stories with Michael Rosen’ have not been announced as of yet but keep an eye on the Westbury Festival Facebook page for more information. The event will be private for schools, so no tickets are being sold and spaces will be limited.
Festival chair, Ian Cunningham said, “We’re all very excited to have Michael Rosen at the Westbury Festival. We are now looking at ways where we can make this event as accessible as possible for as many children as we can. There has been a very positive response from schools in the town and we hope to coordinate something with them over the coming weeks.
“Each year the festival team has looked at ways that we can provide something free to the younger audience in the community. To have Michael Rosen in the diary was an opportunity we couldn’t miss! We’ve been able to give this to the community thanks to supporters of the festival including all those who have bought festival tickets over the years, our unpaid committee and festival volunteers, local businesses and sponsors and Westbury Town Council.”
Michael Rosen is one of Britain’s best loved writers and performance poets for children and adults. Michael is also a popular broadcaster and has presented BBC Radio 4’s acclaimed programme about language, ‘Word of Mouth’ since 1998, as well as regularly presenting documentary programmes for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3, including the Sony Gold Award-winning ‘On Saying Goodbye’.
Michael has published in the region of 200 books for children and adults, including ‘The Sad Book’ with Quentin Blake – a meditation on bereavement written after the loss of his son, Eddie; ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ with Helen Oxenbury – made into an animated film for Channel 4 broadcast Christmas Day 2016 – and ‘A Great Big Cuddle’ with Chris Riddell.
The Westbury Festival runs from Monday 17th July through to Sunday 30th July. It features a star-studded line up, including TV reality star and stand-up comic, Tom Houghton as well as ‘80s Hit selling band, The Korgis and specialist talks from the British Military’s chief SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Extraction) instructor John Hudson (Discovery Channel Survive That/Dude, You’re Screwed); science & engineering history lecturer, Laurence Scales; and a local history talk from author and historian, Sally Hendry. The 13-day event also features folk music from The Lost Trades, A Gin and Jazz night with The Gin Bowlers, daily free film screenings (classic Hammer Horror), live magic and much more.
To find out more about the Westbury Festival and their 2023 line up taking place between July 17th-30th, visit: www.westburyfestival .org.uk
Westbury Festival is keen to hear from local businesses and people who would like to help the festival. If you are interested in supporting the festival, please contact: chair@westburyfestival.org.uk
