Sunday 20th August from 11am to 4.30pm. Ryedale Book Festival presents a day of stories and poetry for the whole family at the Yorkshire Arboretum. All events are included with the usual Arboretum admission charge (except for stick weaving with Karin Celestine which costs £1.50 and should be booked in advance on the event webpage HERE). The Festival says:-
Families will be able to enjoy two different stories, Honey for Tea and Small Finds a Home, followed by simple craft activities such as stick weaving, led by the remarkable Karin Celestine. There will also be the chance to be taken on a wildly imaginative, magical journey by international performance storyteller Cat Weatherill, filled with pirates, prophecies and enormous hedgehogs. Don’t forget that there is no charge for children under the age of twelve years.
After lunch Professor Fiona Stafford will be talking with the Arboretum Trust’s Director Dr John Grimshaw about her book “The Long, Long Life of Trees”, which was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2016. The book is a lyrical tribute to the diversity of trees, their physical beauty, special characteristics and uses, and their ever-evolving meanings and is sure to be enhanced in the beautiful setting of the Arboretum.
Local poet Daniela Nunnari will be reading her poetry at intervals throughout the day and supporting others to write their own poems during a lunchtime workshop. Daniela has led lots of workshops for both children and adults, and has worked with Inspired Youth, helping young people share their experiences of social issues through poetry. She has also had poems translated into classical music compositions.
There will also be an opportunity for visitors to create their own “story-stick”. Volunteers will be helping people to make their story stick by collecting fallen treasures from the trees which inspire a story that is shared at the end of the visit.