There are still plenty of spare seats for key primary schools events at the Cheltenham Festival of Literature: Kaye Umansky’s latest book, The Silver Spoon of Solomon Snow, is guaranteed to keep a key stage 2 audience rolling in the aisles (1.30pm on Wednesday, October 13). For key stage 1, try Simon James at 11am on Thursday, October 14 or James Mayhew (creator of the delightful Katie’s Art series) at 1.30pm on October 12. Schools bookings: 01242 775891.
As well his events for child and adult fans, Michael Rosen is guest director for the festival’s closing weekend (October 15-17); Helen Dunmore looks after the first weekend (October 8-10), focusing on writers’ diverse sources of stories from Doris Lessing to Jackie Kay.
One of Rosen’s themes is dissent: on Saturday October 16 you can go straight from a session on William Blake to hear Tiananmen Square eyewitness Diane Wei-Lang. See the programme for the full 10 days of the festival and its creative writing series, Write Away (not to be confused with the one in TESTeacher magazine this week), on www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk. Main box office: 01242 227979. Less than a year to go to the opening of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story
