Invitation: Story Queens Event

Books for Keeps readers are invited to a special event, hosted by Barrington Stoke and in association with the Islington Word Festival

Story Queens: Girls and Reading

Monday 13 May 2013

6.00pm. – 8.00pm.

Islington Central Library 2 Fieldway Crescent London N5

A panel of top authors Meg Rosoff, Sally Nicholls, Kaye Umansky, Karen McCombie and Annie Dalton will talk about their writing, focusing in particular on girls and reading. The event will be chaired by Sunday Times Children’s Books Editor, Nicolette Jones.

Barrington Stoke editors and Managing Director Mairi Kidd will also be there to answer questions on reading difficulties.

The discussion will be followed by refreshments and a chance to meet the authors, buy books and have copies signed.

The event is free for Books for Keeps readers but ticketed. You are advised to book your ticket ASAP by phoning 0131 225 4113 or emailing jane.walker@barringtonstoke.co.uk

Barrington Stoke

Edinburgh-based independent Barrington Stoke s celebrating 15 years of cracking reading’ in 2013, with forty-four new titles from the cream of UK children’s authors. Not bad for a business model many initially considered well-meaning but ultimately doomed to failure – books for children who could not, or would not, read books.

Then… Mums-on-a-mission Patience Thomson and Lucy Juckes first came up with the idea for a company specialising in dyslexia-friendly fiction after experiencing the frustration of their own children, who wanted to read but found traditional layouts difficult to access. Enlisting a raft of experts in opthalmics, literacy and special educational needs and drawing on Patience and Lucy’s own expertise, the Barrington Stoke editorial concepts and layout principles were established. It is testament to Patience and Lucy’s success that many other companies have adopted tinted paper and adjusted type for their own titles.

And now… ‘At Barrington Stoke we are committed not only to accessibility, but also to quality,’ says Managing Director Mairi Kidd. ‘We know that children who struggle have to want to read in order to succeed, and that their self-confidence is boosted by the idea that they can access books by the same authors their peers adore. Words can’t express our gratitude to the wonderful authors who have written for Barrington Stoke over the years. Their willingness to work with us says so much for their commitment to developing readers.’

See also Anne Faundez’s review feature.