Spellbound by Booksat First Light Festival

Hugh Bonneville and Kate Rolfe headline free family day celebrating children's books and stories.

Families are invited to be ‘Spellbound by Books’ this autumn, as First Light Festival CIC announces a brand-new, free children's book day taking place on Saturday 10th October at East Point Pavilion in Lowestoft.

Spellbound by Books – A Day of Stories for Families will bring storytelling, live readings and hands-on activities to East Point Pavilion from 9.30am to 4pm, with something for children of all ages throughout the day.

Leading the celebrations will be actor Hugh Bonneville (Paddington, Downton Abbey) reading from his new children's book Rory Sparkes and the Spy Who Loved Tea, alongside awardwinning storyteller Kate Rolfe of Wiggling Words, who will open the day with a trio of stories for younger children.

Illustrator and author Matt Robertson will be chatting about his book Bodytopia, followed by a fun comic-style drawing workshop aimed at children aged 6+.

Further authors are set to join the line-up for the day’s family sessions, with details to be announced soon on the First Light Festival website: https://firstlightlowestoft.com/spellbound-by-books/ .

Best of all — the entire day is completely free for families to attend!

What's On

Local schools will be treated to a sneak peak of what’s in store at Spellbound, with special schools days of workshops and talks taking place in the week of the 5th October with authors Onjali Q. Rauf and Lisa Thompson.

On Saturday 10th October, the day will unfold in two halves. The morning is designed for little ones 3-7 yrs, with a run of stories from Kate Rolfe, paired with a suite of activities for younger children.  From midday, the programme shifts up a gear for older children, with activities to suit ages 7-11 yrs, including comic workshops from Matt Robinson.

At 3pm, children's author Anna Fargher (the Umbrella Mouse Series) will interview Hugh

Bonneville including a special live reading of his latest children's book: 'Rory Sparkes and the Spy Who Loved Tea'. This live book reading is a unique opportunity to hear this much-loved actor and author, plus there's a special guest appearance from his sandwich-eating, bear friend! This is a FREE, ticketed event. Tickets can be booked at   https://www.ticketsource.com/booking/select/yqmkbxxbwxlj. 

Throughout the day, families can also enjoy:

Face painting – transform into your favourite character

Photo booth — with a specially made "Be Spellbound by Books" picture frame for family snaps

Wishing Tree — For children to hang their own spells and wishes

Themed drinks and snacks will be available from the East Point Pavilion bar.

Spellbound by Books is produced by First Light Festival CIC with Julia Marsen of Ottie and the Bea.

Genevieve Christie, CEO First Light Festival CIC says, ‘In this National Year of Reading and with the grateful support of our funders, we're thrilled to be producing this new event for Lowestoft, bringing children and families together in a fun-filled day to enjoy the magic of words and stories.’

Spellbound is supported by Sizewell C and East Suffolk Council.

Jack Raven, Senior Regional Sustainability Project Manager at Sizewell C, said, ‘We’re delighted to support this exciting new event, bringing children, families and communities together through the magic of stories. Reading sparks imagination builds confidence and creates opportunities for young people. That’s why we’ve supported initiatives such as the East Anglian Daily Times’ Born and Read in Suffolk campaign, which has seen a range of exciting and engaging events and activities, including staff at Sizewell C heading into local schools to read to pupils. We’re proud to work with local partners to make events like this accessible, helping more children discover the joy, creativity and possibilities that reading can unlock.’