Children from four local schools were treated to author sessions with Marie Basting and Mark Powers this week, when Coram Beanstalk's BookFest took place in Liverpool, for the first time, at The Very Group's head office.

Thanks to the generosity of our corporate partner friends at The Very Group hosting the event, Coram Beanstalk were able to invite local partner schools to bring groups of children along to two very special author events. 

The wonderful Marie Basting tested the children's knowledge of Roman beliefs and practices (with a focus on the more disgusting aspects of their medicinal remedies!) whilst sharing her latest book 'My Family and Other Romans'. 

Marie also inspired the children with her story of becoming a writer, spoke of her own determination to become a writer despite advice to the contrary and taught the children rousing Roman battle cries!

Coram Beanstalk does such brilliant work, and I was delighted to be part of their first Liverpool Book Festival.  Told by a career advisor that working class girls from Liverpool don't become writers, this was a fantastic opportunity to show Liverpool children they can do anything they want. And where better to start their adventures than inside a book? Thanks to Coram Beanstalk, they'll have that opportunity.

Marie Basting, Author of My Family and Other Romans 

In the afternoon, science-fiction author of 'Space Detectives', Mark Powers read the first chapter of his book and conducted a science-fiction based quiz!

 

I can't believe we got to meet an author; it was so exciting. I want to be an author too. 

To round off the day, all of the children attending were gifted a copy of the author's book by The Very Group, and had the opportunity to have it signed!