Reporter: Esther Howard

A pre-Book Festival week interview with the organiser, Miss Rowe!

What are you excited about?

“I am excited to meet Pippa Goodhart and Kel Winser because they are coming to visit!

On Thursday there is also going to be a storyteller and they will be great too! There are lots of different things happening this year which is exciting.”

Do you think this Book festival will be better than the past ones and which one is your favourite?

“In the early days it was over one or two days. I liked doing it the 3rd or 4th time. But the one in 2019 really stuck in my mind because it was the first time we did a whole week of the festival.”

Miss Jeni’s writing teepee is really popular. Which event do you think is the most popular?

“Some stay the same with popularity and some change. I love having Diss Publishing Bookshop visit to close the festival. The teepee at lunchtimes is really popular too. Dorien Brouwers is coming back and I think that is really great because lots of people loved her last year. I think it is good to vary it with different visitors and events because otherwise people get bored. I think the Book Mastermind event (which will happen on Tuesday) will also be popular because parents can come and watch and it is fun for everyone!” 

What is your favourite book?

“Ooh, so many to choose from! I will pick an adult book and a children's book. 

For the adult’s book it would be The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and for the children’s book it would be Dogger By Shirley Hughes.”

Who is your favourite author? 

“Again, I am going to do the adult and children thing. So for the adults one it would be the Bronte sisters - either Charlotte or Anne is my favourite. And for the children’s author it would be Kate Dicamillo. I think she is a brilliant author because her writing is entertaining but also very realistic.

Lots of children have decided to compete in Book Mastermind this year. How does that make you feel?

“I am really pleased! At first, it was something small that I started seven years ago but now it is very popular and all of the children are very brave for taking on the challenge - well done to those children!”

Reporter: Alina Voloshina-Suggate

Miss Jeni helps to organise the Book Festival, as well as running some of the events. Alina got the chance to interview her ahead of this year's festival.

Lots of children have decided to do Book Mastermind, how does that make you feel?

Very proud! I’m so glad that all age groups are trying it this year. Even children from year 2 are giving it a go. It’s a very brave thing to do.

Any advice for Book Festivals in the future?

I think keep going how you are. I love the fact that the Book Festival has a nice spark with all the activities, but actually just some more quiet reading times would be nice.

Fox Class (yr5 and 6) have been split into teams, should we keep the older children as the teams or let the younger ones do it as well?

I think it’s a Fox Class job as they have the experience and have seen what goes on over and over again. But maybe Fox Class could let the younger ones do some little jobs.

The Refreshments Team have only got 3 people in their team, do you think they need some help?

Well as it’s very important that when you are giving food to people the food must be hygienic and good for people to eat, so yes maybe they could have a bit of help from teachers or other people.

Lots of the events are split up into KS1 and KS2, do you think we should keep it that way?

Yes, I think it’s good that they split the events up so that the younger ones get to enjoy authors that are good at entertaining their age group and the older ones get entertainment for their age group.

Is there any book that you think the school should get?

'The Murderer's Ape' by Jakob Wegelius is a good one and 'Ten Cats' by Emily Gravett and her new one called 'Ten Dogs'.

What are you most excited about for the Book Festival?

New books - each class has 'festival reads' to unwrap daily, the Elephant and Piggy party, the comic illustrator coming in, and Book Mastermind.

 

Reporter: Esther Howard

Raffy, from our Logistics Team and also one of our ten Book Mastermind finalists, has caught up with Esther ahead of this year's festival.

What are you most excited about?

“I am really excited about a chance of winning Book Mastermind as I am in the final!”

Will you go to any of the optional events that there are or to Miss Jeni’s Lunchtime writing teepee?

“I don’t have any idea. It depends on what I feel like doing on the day!”

What is your favourite Book?

“I like Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve”