“Deep-versed in books and shallow in himself.” John Milton

9th May 2008

I am currently involved in the organising of the Rotherham Children's Book Festival (Saturday 28 th June – Sunday 6 th July). The festival aims to inspire a love of reading in Rotherham 's young people by inviting a range of authors, storytellers, poets and performers.

Last year the festival lay fallow, like the fields of Glastonbury.

(Does that make Julie Hird, the festival coordinator, Rotherham 's equivalent to Michael Eavis? Well, we haven't booked Shakin' Stevens or Jay-Z, though some – Noel Gallagher included would agree that this is a good thing!)

The festival returns for the 8 th time this summer and we hope it will be every bit as successful as previous years have been. The list of talent on this year's bill would suggest it will be – and we are very proud of the programme we have created.

The majority of the artists will be performing to audiences invited from local schools. These include authors Alan Gibbons, Melvin Burgess and Helena Pielichaty; poets Ian McMillan and Paul Cookson; storytellers Pete Castle and Joseph Collins; musician Lindsay Aitkenhead and dance company Annapurna.

I shall return soon with information about events that are open to the public during the week. How will you stand the suspense?

David H.