May 9, 2008 - 5:50am
Malaspina will become a literary kaleidoscope of children, authors, illustrators, entertainers and parents who all have one thing in common: their love of a good story.
The 22nd annual BookFest will be held Saturday, May 31, from 10 am to 2:30 pm at Malaspina University-College’s Nanaimo campus.
“There’s something of interest for anyone from ages five to 14,” said Terri Doughty, English professor and Festival coordinator. “Bookfest will appeal to the child in all of us. It’s a very special day that brings together many well-known and celebrated people from the world of Canadian children’s literature. We hope community members will come share their joy of reading and the delight of books, especially with your children.”
This year BookFest welcomes authors Andrea Spalding, a storyteller for all ages; Adrienne Mason, who writes non-fiction mostly about nature, science and west coast history; Linda Bailey, the creator of a goofy dog named Stanley; Mélanie Watt, who is well known for her stories about a neurotic scaredy squirrel; Arthur Slade, creator of villainous villains; Sarah Ellis, who will help you discover the stories in your own imagination; Simon Rose, a long-time fan of science fiction, fantasy and the unexplained who will help you discover where ideas come from and how writers turn them into stories; and illustrators Wallace Edwards, , who will have you participating in a drawing session; and Bill Slavin, who has illustrated over 70 children’s books and will share his very first book created in grade 3.
Noon hour activities include face painting, crafts, bubble blowing and the musical talents of national performer, Brenda Baker. Each year a different artist creates a design for the festival and this year Canadian illustrator Martin Springett has fun with dragons and kids and t-shirts sporting his design will be available for sale.
The registration fee, $10 per child with a maximum of $25 for a family, provides admittance to three sessions and all noon hour festivities. Registration forms are available at Vancouver Island Regional Library branches, the Malaspina Bookstore (Nanaimo), or on the web site. Children in school districts #68 and #69 can also get registration forms from their school.
Visit www.bookfest.ca, for more details or call 716-3378. For further information, contact Terri Doughty at doughty@viu.ca, or 753-3245 Ext. 2102; or Barbara Kerfoot at dhooper@island.net or
250-751-1515.
Tags: In the Community
