Hats Off To The Kids On Campus

Words by Neil Harrison, photographs by Sophie Bannister

CHILDREN FROM THREE LOCAL NURSERIES don caps and gowns to celebrate their graduation from pre-school - at a real university.

As part of a ‘fantastic day’, youngsters from Didsbury Pre-school, Macintosh and St. Mary's Day Nurseries received their diplomas from staff and students at Manchester Metropolitan University, before throwing their mortarboards aloft in celebration.

Unanimous in praising the event, over 200 proud parents and nursery staff were in attendance to cheer on their little graduates. Manager of Macintosh Day Nursery, Sarah Wildon said,

“The children have absolutely loved it. We have been coming here for the end of term graduation for three years now and every year we get great feedback from the parents. We'll definitely be coming back next year.”

St. Mary's manager, Lyndsey Walkden, concurred, adding:

“All the children have been really excited all day, every five minutes they were asking 'can we go yet?' It's just so great for the kids to end their experience of pre-school with an event like this. It's nice having the links with the university and being able to put on such a special day at the end of the year.”

One of the organisers, MMU's James Draper, explained why it is so important for the university to reach out and engage with the local community,

“Kids Unlimited, the company which runs the three nurseries here today, are a sponsor of MMU'sChildren's Book Festival. Events like today show that the relationship between the university and its sponsors needn't be simply a financial one. Integrated into that relationship is a genuine community outreach programme, one which benefits everyone, but most of all the kids here today—what a great way to make young people comfortable within a university environment at an early age.”

One of the beaming parents, Natalie Goodair, herself an MMU graduate, certainly agreed, saying,

“The ceremony is such a wonderful way to get children interested in university life. My daughter is three years old and she's here today, running around and having a fantastic time. She has decided she wants to be an artist.”

“Days like this are something that they will remember fondly and they will always associate with university—it’s like planting a seed.”


Neil Harrison is studying Social History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player. Read his blog LooseRiver and follow him on Twitter @LooseRiver

Summer Reading!

                                                         Helping us launch

The Summer Reading Challenge in Manchester this year is award winning children’s horror author

David Gatward

Your school, with classes Year 5 & 6, are invited to Moss Side Powerhouse on Mon 8^th July from 10.30 – 12noon.

Dave will do his inspiring and humorous talk about what it is like being a children’s author and signing books afterwards. There will also be information about the Summer Reading Challenge and how the children can join to win prizes for reading over the summer holidays.

Spaces are limited so if you would like to bring a class along,

for FREE, to this fabulous event please get in touch with

Debra Conroy on 07951053485

David Gatward spent a considerable part of his life confusing not just himself, but those around him. He spent most of his childhood and teenage years wondering what it would be like to be any one of the following (in no particular order): actor; musician; carpenter; army officer; writer; helicopter pilot, and highwayman. Writing took over, thanks to a couple of ghost-writing contracts and, quite to his own surprise, a book deal to write The Dead. The rest, as they say, is history...

MTOT Launch For The Nation

It’s Back! Bigger, Better and Bolder than Before: The Poet Laureate Launches Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2013. Wednesday, 30th January, 2013

The Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, has announced that Mother Tongue Other Tongue will be her next Laureate Education Project. An idea originally developed by the Faculty of Humanities, Languages and Social Science at MMU, and Routes into Languages North West, this national multilingual poetry competition aims to celebrate cultural diversity and the many languages currently spoken in schools across the UK.

On Wednesday morning, Carol Ann paid a special visit to Webster Primary School in Moss Side where she launched the North West version of the competition, the first of a series of launches that will take place throughout the year up and down the country.

In keeping with the spirit of the competition, during the morning pupils of all ages and nationalities from Webster primary school, Manchester Academy and Trinity High School, worked in collaboration with mentors from Loreto Sixth Form and PGCE students from Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Education, to create original multilingual poems. The workshop, led by poet, Mandy Coe, demonstrated the benefits of using multilingual poetry in the classroom to lift barriers of learning and to teach children about different cultures.

Carol Ann Duffy was very impressed with the creativity and enthusiasm displayed by the students: “Differences in language and culture are often considered to be a barrier to communication, but the language of poetry is universal. Children are the best poets because they see the world with fresh eyes, they do not see barriers in the way that adults sometimes do. If children can use the language of poetry to share their languages and cultures, perhaps these barriers can be removed for adults. Maybe we can learn to appreciate each other’s differences and similarities. I look forward to what the North West’s talented and inspirational children will share with us this year.”

Head Teacher of Webster primary school, Jeremy Jackson, agrees: “We do value the multitude of languages spoken here at school, but the pressure is always on to get pupils up to speed with their English very quickly. It is refreshing, therefore, to have the opportunity to hear the children use their languages in a creative and collaborative way.”

MMU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor John Brooks, explains: “The schools that took part in the launch were selected because of their relationship to MMU and to represent the age-range of the competition, which is from 8 to 18. All of the schools are from the Birley Fields area and we are delighted, as ever, to continue working both with and in our local community. One of our partners for this project is the Manchester Mela and MMU students will be running a multi-lingual poetry and storytelling tent at the Mela in July.”

In the afternoon the celebrations moved over to MMU’s Humanities Faculty, where 300 year 10 pupils from secondary schools across Greater Manchester joined the schools from the morning session at Webster to watch them perform alongside the Poet Laureate, accompanied by musician, John Sampson. Cheers and applause ricocheted off the walls of Lecture Theatre 1 as the children took to the stage to deliver their poetic offerings.

12-year-old Destiny Cross from Trinity High School was moved by the day’s events, “I will remember today for a very long time because I had the privilege to perform my poem alongside Carol Ann Duffy.”

Manchester Academy pupil, Nashif Nawferdeen, aged 11 shared: “I have really enjoyed learning about the different languages that the pupils speak here today. I think the competition is a fantastic idea and I look forward to entering!”

Even the year 10 pupils were astonished by the very high standard of the work produced by the younger pupils. 14-year-old Megan Sutcliffe from Lowton C of E High School said, “It was awesome. I had no idea poetry could be so much fun and I can’t believe that the pupils only had a morning to put all of this together.”

Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a free-to-enter competition open to pupils aged between 8 and 18. Mother Tongue asks pupils, who do not have English as a first language, to write about what a lullaby, poem or song in their native language means to them, while Other Tongue asks pupils to create an original poem in a second language they are learning at school. Winners of the competition will have their poems published in an anthology and will be invited back to MMU in October for a special NATIONAL celebration event.

For further information about the competition, including details on how to enter, please visit: www.mtot.org.uk

Teachers are also invited to attend a free CPD taking place on February 12^th where they will be able to find out more about the project, the workshops we run in school and what resources are available to support teachers. To book your free place please visit: http://mtotcpd.eventbrite.co.uk/

Young Writers have their work published

Words by Claudia Conerney and Amillah Javed

It was All Write on Saturday Night!

On Saturday 8th December hundreds of children and their families descended on Manchester, many travelling from far afield as Aberdeen and Worcester. However, it wasn't just the lure of the X-Factor final that drew them to the city, but the annual All Write celebration event, that took place at the Z-Arts centre in Hulme.

All Write is a creative writing competition that provides budding writers, aged between 9 and 12, with the opportunity to produce original and imaginative stories, the best of which are selected for publication in an anthology.  All Write has been publishing poems and stories by more than 600 young writers since 2005. 

Kaye Tew, the competition’s organiser and director of the Manchester Children’s Book Festival, is really excited by this year’s collection, “there is a huge amount of young talent out there and the standard of competition entries just seems to get better and better each year.”

There was standing room only in the Z-Arts’ studio as everyone squeezed in to hear Iris Feindt, Noel Fagan, Emily Birch and Helen Sea (graduates from the Manchester Writing School and authors of the very successful Animal Stew) announced this year’s winners. Judging by the many smiles that beamed around the room, it was clear that the children were delighted to have published authors celebrate their achievements.

First place prizewinner Lydia Edwards

In first place was Lydia Edwards from the Royal Grammar School in Worcester, who received tremendous praise for her story The Journey. As she collected her award and her copy of the anthology, Lydia told us: “my story was inspired by a visit to my grandmother, who lives in Devon. It was a very long car journey because we got stuck in a horrendous traffic jam, but I decided to occupy the time by observing what was happening outside the window. I’m really grateful to that traffic jam because here I am, a year later, a published writer and a first prize-winner.” 

Safia Adia with big brother Yussuf

In second place was Yussuf Adia, from Ladybridge High School in Bolton for his story, My Community, about a strange dystopian society where dogs play chess and babies have abnormal intelligence. Yussuf  “my favourite part has been winning. I wrote about things that I enjoy such as chess and dinosaurs.” Yusuf’s 7-year-old sister, Safia, looked on proudly as her big brother collected his award from the Manchester Writing School’s Iris Feindt. Not to be outshone, she informed us that she too will be entering in the future and plans to write about nature. 

In third place was Aoife Ronan from All Hallow’s Catholic High School in Macclesfield for her poem, Dia Duitch, a celebration of the Gaelic language and culture. Aoife read her poem aloud to the audience, who responded with a thunderous applause.  

Klaudia Kawa

In fourth place was Klaudia Kawa from St Peter’s High School in Gorton whose impressive poems, Nightfall and Leaves, evoke the work of Ezra Pound. She told us that it was “an honour to have my work published in the anthology, let alone to actually win. The competition has given me a lot of confidence and has inspired me to keep writing”. Klaudia’s English Teacher, Suzy Boardman, was very proud of her pupil; “I would like to congratulate all the winners but especially the twelve entrants from St. Peter's RC High School and our winner Klaudia. Well done!”  

Annabel Malkin

The 2012 All Write anthology features 40 of the best poems and stories from this year’s entrants. Among them is Annabel Malkin’s highly imaginative poem, Ten Things that a Mum would Never Say, which was inspired by a literacy lesson in school. Her poem provides an amusing and alternative take on parental discipline that will no doubt appeal to any child who wishes to get away with just about anything! Annabel from Queensgate Primary School in Bramhall was brimming with excitement, “I’ve really enjoyed today, it’s been absolutely great and I am so glad that I entered.” 

Mortan Fawns Williams

Mortan Fawns Williams, from Longdendale Community Language College in Hyde, who wrote a quirky and surreal story about rubber ducks taking over Manchester, was also delighted to have his story published and to discover that it was among first prize-winner, Lydia Edwards’, favourites.  “I really enjoyed writing my story because it allowed me to be imaginative,” he  said excitedly.

As the ceremony drew to a close, many children were already signing copies of their anthologies for friends and family, while others discussed their entries for next year. The 2012 All Write anthology is on sale now, priced at £5. You can purchase a copy from Amazon here.

It certainly was a fabulous afternoon at the Z-arts, despite the rain and the cold, but it isn't over yet. We’re all off now to explore the Z-arts Mysteryland exhibition, a creative attempt to construct an adventure playground of the imagination for children and families. The exhibition is free and open to the public until Saturday 22^nd December and visitors are also encouraged to bring along children’s books for the Christmas book exchange. 

For further details please visit Z-Arts. For further details about the 2013 All Write Competition for 9-12 year olds, please visit the website mcbf.org.uk

Steve ColeZ - Apocalypse

Steve Cole, Friday 14^th September, 1:30pm, MMU Business School

Here at MMU's new Business School, aka The Mothership, the MCBF has continued its author school visits in collaboration with Manchester Libraries, by bringing back the ever popular, Steve Cole, here to talk to us about his new book, Z-Apocalypse. 

A professional in rousing a racket from any young school kid, Debra Conroy from Manchester Libraries gets us all warmed up by bellowing a welcome for the eager author. As soon as Steve comes bouncing into the room, I'm instantly thrown back to the first time I met him during his talk at the MCBF Family Fun Day. 

Launching into a political topic of the recommended five-a-day, Steve admits he doesn't actually condemn fruit, he just finds some to be utterly pointless. Kiwis, for example, are basically grapes dressed in bulletproof vests. Pacing lively from one side of the lecture theatre to the other isn't the only way Steve is able to maintain the attention of these excited children. He keeps us all hooked as he explains that, as a writer, his job is to 'chuck imagination at words', giving us examples by bringing two of his own creations: DRACUCUMBER and WARENANA (can you guess what he combined?).

Brief side note here. A girl is sat in front of me scribbling away in a notebook, just like me, taking notes of Steve's most interesting tips and anecdotes, just like me. I bet she's either out to get my job, or just very keen on getting some excellent pointers. I did ask, and fortunately (for me), she is a big fan and is taking personal notes. 

We return to words and imagination with Steve telling us the origin of the name 'dinosaur' - 'dino' meaning 'terrible' in Ancient Greek and 'saur' meaning 'lizard'. His mind played with the notion that dinosaurs became extinct with a collision of an asteroid from outer space, and he began to wonder what would have happened if they had been able to escape, possibly in a spaceship, before the asteroid collided with planet earth. He put together the word 'astro' meaning 'star' and 'saur', turning them into star lizards, aka Astrosaurs. A simple bend in common sense and you have some best-selling children's stories. He lets us further into his mind by sharing where the idea of creating the character of his very first Astrosaur book, Z-Rex, came from; already aware of the big, bad T-Rex, he continued the evolution from 'T' (tyrant) through to 'Z' (zenith) making him into nastiest of all Rexes. Author's secrets don't half boggle your mind!

When the Q&As begin, the lecture theatre is filled with fists punching the air. One kid asks how old he was when he wrote his first book. Steve fumbles around for that long-ago date and remembers it was at the age of twenty-five. He then lets slip (probably on purpose) that his birthday was only last week. Starting from the back, a raucous ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU’ is sung at a deafening volume. Seriously, throbbing eardrums.  

After numerous intervals of excited chanting, feet stomping and desk pounding, Steve Cole has proved to be popular with the school children, as well as all the adults in here too. Keep your eyes out for his new book, Magic Ink, coming out next year.  

Here's what some of the children had to say about the author:

Creative Writing 101 by the Queen of the Fairies

Liz Kessler – Book Reading, Saturday 30^th June, 1 - 2pm, MMU Geoffrey Manton building

Words and photographs by Sophie Bannister

There are small gasps from the young girls in the room as Liz Kessler, author of the successful Emily Windsnap and Philippa Fisher series, enters. I can see her books everywhere, sitting on the tables in front of their owners, ready to be signed at a moment’s notice. A hush descends, and every little girl’s face lights up and looks towards the front expectantly. There is a surreal air hanging about the beginning of this event. It is created by the strong feeling of excitement emitted by Liz’s fans and vaguely resembles what meeting the Queen must feel like. I – though arguably too old for Emily Windsnap’s adventures, sadly – begin to sense the bubbling feeling that comes from the mounting excitement. Perhaps I’m reverting back to childhood.

It isn’t much of a surprise that Liz is more popular with girls than boys; the majority of her books consist of adventures about mermaids and fairies, which, of course, most little girls aspire to be. Yet, Liz’s books have inspired all kinds of children from every walk of life. It’s not hard to see why. The scope of imagination that has gone into these books is impressive.

Liz begins the event by talking about her writing, and it soon begins to resemble a creative writing lecture. We learn about Liz’s habits as a writer and she describes some of her influences whilst incorporating events that led to the creation of her famous works. Of these, the story of how the Philippa Fisher books came about is one of the most entertaining. It was based on an experience a young Liz had when she picked a daisy one day. She immediately knew it was going to become a fairy at midnight. So she took it to her room, placed it in a jar on her windowsill and stayed up that night to wait and watch. As midnight crept closer, Liz began to grow fearful of what might happen. What if the fairy was bad? She couldn’t take it any longer. Liz flung open her window and threw the daisy out. She instantly regretted it. This was later to become the beginning of the first Philippa Fisher book, and it is just one example of how life experiences have shaped Liz’s work.

Liz confesses that when she writes, she is an obsessive planner. Her routine begins by scribbling ideas into beautiful notebooks with covers that inspire the imagination (‘if you love notebooks, you’re pretty much halfway to being a writer!’ she tells us). They then all get typed up, printed out, cut up and moved around until Liz is fairly happy with the order. Eventually, it is broken down into chapters then sent to the editor for approval. It’s a process that takes a painfully long time, yet for Liz, it is a necessary one in order to make her stories so inspiring.

It is entirely fascinating to listen to Liz’s enthusiasm. Her excited tone of voice highlights exactly how much she cares for her line of work and how desperate she is to help others to break into the world of writing. The audience is given lots of tips to help with problems like writer’s block and time management, which are eagerly absorbed by little brains.

The writing business is put aside for now, as Liz begins to read from her new Emily Windsnap book, Land of the Midnight Sun. The audience reclines into their seats and lets Liz’s words surround and transport them into the story. The whole event is over far too soon. Yet, the quality of the snippet read to us confirms one thing; if the authors of the future sit in this room today, they’ve been given a great head start with Liz’s advice.

Sophie Bannister has just completed her first year studying English Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University. She hopes to complete a Master’s degree after her time at MMU. MCBF has given her the boost she needed to start her own blog and showcase her work. You can view Sophie's blog here.