Secondary pupils in Manchester are being trained in how to “tweet” about theatre as part of the city’s children’s book festival next month.

The experiment with the interactive social networking website Twitter is being carried out by Year 8 pupils from Newall Green High and Chorlton High schools.

The children are being led by performance poet Kate Fox while they are trained to become the festival’s official “tweeters”.

The 12 pupils will watch a performance of Nahid by scriptwriter Anjum Malik, performed by actor Thushani Weerasekera. The piece tells Anjum’s own story of coming to England from Pakistan in 1968 and growing up in Bradford.

Ms Fox, poet in residence for Radio 4‘s Saturday Live programme, will help the children tweet their view of the play while it is being performed.

They will go on to provide Twitter coverage throughout the Manchester Children’s Book Festival.

The event, which runs for four days - July 1-4 - will provide 2,000 free places for school children across Greater Manchester. ws.