Archives: Events

Celebrate the power of music with OneTrackMinds, a cross between Desert Island Discs, TED Talks, and The Moth in which a selection of storytellers share one song that changed them forever.

Everyone has a story of a song that changed their life. For a special series at Kings Place, award-winning OneTrackMinds brings together an inspiring selection of musicians, writers and thinkers, each presenting a thought-provoking story about that one track that changed their life, while leaving a lasting impact on yours.

With special guests

This event will last approximately 2 hours, including an interval

Reviews

‘This show is like stepping into a warm bath.’ Vanessa Kisuule

‘Every time I visit OneTrackMinds, I learn something about music and something about the individuals revealing themselves through their song choice. Music is a lifelong lover and companion. She can make you laugh, move and weep against your will. She will always make you remember.’ Deborah Frances White

‘OneTrackMinds is like oxytocin for the soul.’ Pauline Eyre

What inspires writers to write children’s books that excite and resonate with young readers? In this panel discussion, you get to hear how these authors from different nationalities and backgrounds transform their love for the imaginative world into actual writing that piques the interest of the little ones.

Join us for a spooky virtual chat with your favourite authors just in time for Halloween!

Authors in Conversation: The Halloween One

Families and children are welcome! There will be a prize for the best Halloween fancy dress costume!

Join us for a spooky online event where authors will discuss all things Halloween! Get ready for a thrilling conversation filled with ghost stories, witches, and everything in between. Whether you’re a horror fan or just love a good scare, this event is perfect for you. Don’t miss out on this ghoulishly good time! Grab your favourite Halloween snack and tune in for an evening of literary frights.

Midnight Treasure: A Talk with Piers Torday

Let popular children’s author Piers Torday share about his latest book, Midnight Treasure, inspired by a map of a mysterious fantasyland hand-drawn by his dad, Paul Torday (who is also an author!). Learn how to spice up your own travel stories with enthralling fantasies filled with imagination and epic-ness.

Literature for Schools Programme

Creating Fantasy Worlds

Take a journey into the imagination with authors Liz Hyder, Philip Reeve and Piers Torday, exploring the art of world-building in their latest books. From a parallel universe to 1000 years into the future and an empire of vampirs and werwolves, learn their techniques for shaping believable landscapes, cultures and creatures to set their gripping adventures.

Join together for a spooky writing session in our beautiful Sam Wanamaker Playhouse with award-winning children’s author Piers Torday. Part of our new family event series, Telling Tales.

Piers will guide families through key ingredients to entertain, mystify, and shock readers when creating their own story ideas. Exploring themes perfect for Halloween and cosy reading days, children and adults will combine forces to start an exciting writing journey together.

You’ll also hear how Piers started writing and where he finds inspiration for his books, including recent titles The Last Wild and The Lost Magician, alongside his forthcoming book Midnight Treasure, with time to ask your questions in a Q&A session.

‘The new master of books for children’ – The Times

Master storyteller Piers Torday (The Last Wild) takes us on a breathtaking journey into his new fantasy world of Midnight Treasure. 

In an empire of vampires and werewolves, Tibor and Roza are on a deadly quest for a treasure more valuable than gold. Battling with bears, wrestling with vampires and racing against the clock, Tibor and Roza must decide who to trust. And whether they will dare reveal the secrets of the Midnight Treasure…

Join Piers Torday, the award-winning, bestselling author of The Last Wild Trilogy and stage adapter of The Box of Delights, for an animated, interactive insight into how he became a writer, the story behind The Last Wild and a sneak preview of his latest thrilling fantasy adventure for children, Midnight Treasure.

I will be a Guest Tutor at the brilliant Faber Academy Course dedicated to writing for children, run by superb fellow author Chloe Deakin.

The course runs in Newcastle for 12 weeks from May 2nd, and you can find out more about the course and how to enrol here.

Other tutors include the fabulous Emma Carroll. I will be leading a guest masterclass on Thursday, 27th June, from 7-9 pm.

Sustainable Publishing 2030: Shaping the Future of an Eco-Friendly and Ethical Industry

This session is focused on unveiling innovative strategies that empower readers to engage with environmental and social best practices. Our speakers will also reveal how emerging technologies, such as AI, can play a key role in fostering a greener, more sustainable future for the publishing industry. Our esteemed panellists will explore various initiatives aimed at incorporating authors’ perspectives into the ongoing efforts to promote sustainability in the publishing industry. Join this transformative conversation, where innovative strategies, the potential of technology, and positive industry changes meet to cultivate a more conscious and environmentally responsible future.

SPEAKERS:

Rachel Martin, Global Sustainability Director, Elsevier
Piers Torday, an award-winning and bestselling Children’s Author and a Sustainability and Climate Change Campaigner
Sherri Aldis, Director, United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC), Department of Global Communications