WORD PLAY FESTIVAL 2023

Word Play is back for a third year and we’re very excited to be branching out and including 2 new schools in the programme and lots of amazing authors and illustrators including:

Marie Basting, Jess Butterworth, Sarah Christou, Carson Ellis, Matthew Forsythe, Lindsay Galvin, Lizzie Huxley-Jones, Farhana Islam, Kereen Getten, Jodie Lancet-Grant, Lets Make Art, Daniel Thompson, Jaclyn Moriarty, Al Murphy, Catherine O’flynn, Richard Pickard, Piers Torday, Kate Wakeling.

Schools Programme Our schools programme is presented as a mixture of live and pre-recorded session, any schools in Birmingham interested in getting involved in future editions of Word Play can contact Jenny: hello@howbraveisthewren.com

WORD PLAY Magazine: Once again we’re bringing you the brilliant WORD PLAY magazine, full of activities and samples of new books to read, limited to a print run of 2500 all school pupils included in the schools programme will receive a free copy, or you’ll be able to purchase a copy from How Brave Is The Wren shop in Kings Heath / Birmingham. It will also be available as a digital download during the festival dates.

The magazine is designed and illustrated by Ben Javens find out more about him HERE

WORD PLAY Festival is created by How Brave Is The Wren, the children’s bookshop. The festival aims to encourage a love of reading, storytelling and writing. It was made in collaboration with a host of brilliant authors, illustrators and publishers, thank you to everyone who has made this possible, special thanks to our partners Hall Green Infant & Nursery School, Hall Green Junior School, Colmore Junior School, Kings Heath Primary School, Anorak Magazine and Ben Javens.

Word Play has been supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.