Big Malarkey Festival Announce First Names For 2019

The first names for this year’s Big Malarkey Festival, Hull’s annual children’s literature festival, have been announced.

The announcement follows the festival securing funding from Arts Council England and James Reckitt Library Trust. As a result, this means the festival will return for at least the next two years.

The first names confirmed for the 2019 Big Malarkey Festival are a multi-award winning illustrator and children’s author Nick Sharratt. He is an illustrator who has done over 50 Jaqueline Wilson titles. Also, he has worked on many much-loved picture books.

‘Oi Dog!’ author Kes Gray will also be there, along with Jim Smith, creator of the hilarious ‘Barry Loser’, MG Leonard, author of the fantastical ‘Beetle Boy’ adventures, and astronomer Stuart Atkinson with his new book ‘Cat’s Guide the Night Sky’.

The theme for this year’s Big Malarkey is ‘Join the library, see the world’, encouraging children to use their library card to unlock all kinds of worlds and experiences.

The festival will return to East Park, with activity days for the Schools Library Service (25-28 June) and a family weekend (29-30 June). New features for 2019 are an open mic stage and Poetry on Prescription with the Emergency Poet.

Councillor Dave Craker, the portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said:

“The Big Malarkey Festival has exceeded all expectations since launching in 2017, and it’s fantastic that the festival has secured funding that means it will return for at least the next two years.

“Reading and literature can inspire a child’s imagination, opening up new worlds and experiences – this festival celebrates and proves that.”

The full programme will be launched on April 20 and tickets will be available from Hull Libraries from this date.