Kate Saunders, The Psammead and the Great War, Imagine Children's Festival, Southbank Centre

Fresh from being awarded the Costa Prize for Best Children’s Book of 2014, author Kate Saunders will discuss the delightful Five Children on the Western Front. Budding bookworms and nostalgic grownups have been charmed by this touching sequel to E. Nesbit's classic Five Children and It. Published in the centenary year of the First World War in 2014, Kate Saunders continued the Edwardian tale to the outbreak of fighting and revisited the characters in the context of the trenches. Die-hard fans of Nesbit's original were unfairly dubious: this book sequel stands alone as a stunning children’s book which vividly captures the losses and sacrifices of war and revives our affections for the story of Psammead, the trouble-making sand fairy with the power to grant wishes. Saunders will read extracts from the book, tell us what it was like writing about Psammead and the children for a new generation and answer questions from the audience.
Recommended for ages 10+

About the Southbank Centre, Imagine Children's Festival 2015

If you are racking your brains to find half term activities in London, look no further than the Southbank Centre. For two weeks this February, kids will occupy the arts complex for the annual Imagine Children’s Festival. With a jam-packed schedule overflowing with lively events for all ages, this year’s festival promises to match the resounding success of last year. Kids will swap schoolbooks for immersive theatre, music, singing, poetry, Q &As with their favourite authors and even flamingo croquet! With a stellar line-up and whole host of free events, this is the perfect way to light up a grey February with the family. Click here for the full programme.