With the Worm at Kimberley

Yesterday I went up to the first Kimberley Book Worm Day. This was the idea of fellow NWUK member  Gloria Morgan.  It was the end of a summer of book related activities in this small town not far from Nottingham. These activities have included:

Shop front displays: shops were invited to put on displays connected to books with a prize given out to best two.

Book Worm Day: Local schools were invited to take part in a book worm parade., The response to this was mixed and I am delighted that the school which I had been linked to – Larkfields – was able to attend and put on a superb effort with great looking book characters and a brilliant pair of book worm. Others schools declined involvement or – worse in my opinion – agreed only to pull out at the last minute. I wished the other schools had shown more enthusiasm for an event organised by a local author but  I guess schools get busy and asking teachers to get involved on a weekend is not popular. I hope that having seen the efforts of Larkfields that there would be more interest in 2013 if the event happened again. As part of this activity we authors were invited to visit the schools and give talks. IN my case it was about E-books. I hope to go back and visit again sometime.

The Infant School Book Worm

The Junior School Book Worm/ caterpillar

Infant School as characters

The Great Kimberley Read. A number our fellow authors send in copies of their books and they have been in the Library on display all summer and being borrowed and read by the locals. These library users then voted on their favorite book.

 The prize was given to Alan Dance for his book Leen Times.

Book Fair: We were invited to set up stalls with our books in an Old baptist Church. Some of the children and families did come in an look around. My father was on duty as Edward Dyson (from Tomorrow’s Guardian)

I was happy to be part of the event. As with all such ideas there is a LOT that might be done to build on the initial concept and make it bigger BUT it is important that such events occur. Well done Gloria.