1. Young Writers' Competition

Wimbledon BookFest's annual competition attracts entries from 70+ local schools every year who are inspired to write creative stories and poems. The top entries are published as part of a collection of stories and poems to encourage young people's creativity. The theme for 2021 was 'My Name is'.

The list of winners can be viewed here.

The Prize Giving will be held at the Sunset Festival in September 2021

2. Author Events

Click Here to watch our digital events held in March 2021 with:

• Sita Brahmachari

• Patrice Lawrence

• Caroline Lawrence

• Joseph Coehlo

Author events are run for primary and secondary schools as motivators to encourage literacy. These range from picture book authors and illustrators to storytellers, poets and novelists. Older students have visits from journalists, politicians and screenwriters and writing workshops.

Authors have included Malorie Blackman, Cressida Cowell, Simon Armitage, Jeffrey Boakye, Michael Morpurgo, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Tom Fletcher, Dermot O'Leary and Konnie Huq.

3. Young Writers' Academy

A creative writing course run with University of Roehampton for Year 11-13 students click here

4. World Book Day

This film was made at WBD 2019 with authors Dermot O'Leary, Frank Cotterill Boyce and Tom Fletcher.

Previous authors include: Benjamin Zephaniah, Carol Ann Duffy, Sir John Major, George the Poet, Michael Rosen, David Baddiel, Jacqueline Wilson and Steve Backshall.

5. Gifted Books Initiative

Reading is regularly cited as one of the greatest contributory factors to social mobility. Every year over 2,000 free books are given to children with a low socio-economic demographic and engagement in reading.

6. Filmmakers

Through a partnership with educational film specialists Chocolate Films students attend workshops teaching filmmaking skills. Students are introduced to careers in the creative industries and taught how to tell stories through film. Films are then publically screened at the Festival. The Take Ten Project allows students to work with professional film makers to make documentary portraits of today's Londoner. The programme inludes opportunities for students to learn how to operate cameras for video relay during our events.

7. Student Panel

Sixth formers from local schools make up a panel that meets regularly to develop the festival's events to attract and engage a younger audience. Events have included performance poetry, the future of journalism and the politics of gender, as well as an annual gig night hosted by Radio X's John Kennedy.
The student panel was on hold in 2020 and will return in 2021. Find out more about the Student Panel here.

Watch former panel member Deborah Ajayi interview author Malorie Blackman before an event for schools at New Wimbledon Theatre.

 

8. Stewarding & Volunteering for 6th Formers

Wimbledon BookFest offers opportunities for 6th formers in local schools to steward at the festival.
In 2019 we launched a new camera operating training scheme on-site at the festival where 6th formers and young people were invited to learn professional skills
Find out more.

Sign up to our our education emails contact Laura Byrne at education@wimbledonbookfest.org