If you caught Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo on Radio 4‘s Desert Island Discs back in April, the music of Coope, Boyes amp; Simpson may still be in your head. Since the a cappella singer-songwriters and song collectors met the writer in 2000 at a conference on Children’s Literature of Peace and War at Ypres, they’ve had several successful collaborations, with readings from Morpurgo’s latest novel, Private Peaceful, alongside performances of music commemorating the First World War by Jim Boyes, Lester Simpson and Barry Coope (pictured left to right in that order).
Catch up with them at Rotherham Children’s Book Festival in the Civic Theatre on June 29 (Tickets: 01709 823621823640) or see www.coopeboyesandsimpson.co.uk. Meanwhile Private Peaceful is shortlisted for the Red House Children’s Book Award, entirely judged by children, with the winner announced tomorrow, and the Carnegie Medal, which is awarded next month.
