Spread The Word!

Last Thursday was World Book Day, and to celebrate we headed on mass down to Merthyr Tydfil for the inaugural Spread The Word Festival, organised by Stephens and George Charitable Trust. School children of all ages were invited in their thousands to enter a world of pure imagination from loads of the local schools. Among the sea of craft stalls and fairground rides, Candy Jar was on hand selling books signed by our authors and meeting all the local school children. There were nearly three hundred events at various locations across Merthyr Tydfil, including a drama workshop with Waterloo Road’s Richard Mylan. Candy Jar authors Mark Brake and Jon Chase, Alison Thomas, Andy Frankham-Allen and Lorraine Bowen hosted sessions at the event, as well as a workshop run by illustrator Richard Young. Even Captain Jack Sparrow was able to turn up, also known as entertainer, performer and illustrator Terry Cooper.

In St David’s Parish Church Andy Frankham-Allen hosted a workshop talking about the everyday dilemma’s of time-travel, covering everything from Doctor Who and Anthony Ormond’s Tommy Parker: Destiny Will Find You! to Back To The Future.

Science duo Mark Brake and Jon Chase were there too and blew away the children of Merthyr with their The Science of Doctor Who road-show, talking all things sci-fi and inspiring the audience to make their own real life science experiments for their Space Time Machine Monster Competition, in partnership with the Welsh Books Council.

In the Tydfil Training Centre, author Alison Thomas lead a workshop with her magical friend Ddraig, chatting about her children’s fantasy-adventure book Amulet and inviting the children to take part in a fold-over poem. At Hope Church, Britain’s Got Talent contestant and crumble enthusiast Lorraine Bowen put on an all-singing all-dancing show for the children, who sang along and learnt that everybody’s good at cooking something, and Lorraine’s good at cooking crumble! 

With all this excitement going on elsewhere, the rest of us were all hands on deck at our outdoor stall, selling signed copies of the author’s books and getting involved with the action in the Charitable Trust’s spectacular reinvention of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It got really intense...

Thanks so much to Stephens and George for inviting us to get involved with the Merthyr literary community. We met a load  of great people, and it was so lovely to see all the school children getting into the workshops and dressing up as their favourite book characters. With the Roald Dahl theme, we have never see so many Oompa Loompas in our lives! 

                                                                  

World Book Day: Candy Jar Talks Roald Dahl and Childhood Favourites

You've probably heard that Candy Jar will be at the Merthyr Tydfil Spread The Word Arts & Literary Festival on World Book Day this coming Thursday 3rd March; one of the largest growing World Book Day events across in the UK. We are very, very excited!

This year’s Spread The Word Festival is a celebration of one of children’s literature’s greatest, Roald Dahl. This year marks what would be the 100th birthday of the iconic writer on September 13th 1916, and there will be events celebrating the mind who brought us institutions like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda going on throughout the year and across Cardiff and Wales.

With the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed festival looming, we’ve been chatting away about our favourite Roald Dahl books from when we were growing up.

Shaun’s favourite: The Magic Finger 

We've got all the Roald Dahl books in our house - my girls love them! The Magic Finger really caught my imagination when I was younger, I just thought it was quite strange. It’s the Roald Dahl book that people don’t talk about as much, and I really like the juxtaposition of the characters and how the ducks and the people swap roles.

My favourite part is when they wake up and the Gregg family first realise that they’ve swapped places; they’ve turned into tiny people with wings and the ducks have grown to people size and they have arms instead!

Favourite quote:

“Don’t shoot! Please don’t shoot!”
“Why not?” said one of the ducks. “You are always shooting at us.”
“Oh, but that’s not the same! Said Mr. Gregg. “We are allowed to shoot ducks.”
“Who allows you?”asked the duck.
“We allow each other,” said Mr. Gregg.
“Very nice,” said the duck.” And now we are going to allow each other to shoot you.”

 Will’s favourite: George’s Marvellous Medicine 

I think George’s Marvellous Medicine was my favourite as a kid, purely because I remember reading it so many times. I loved that it was all about wanting to “one-up” the grown-ups and the rubbish relatives!
I think my favourite part was when George blew up the nan!

Favourite quote: 

“Lalalalalalalala I have nothing to say!”

(Either that or: “Never grow up – always grow down.”)

Hayley’s favourite: The Twits

The Twits is definitely my favourite Roald Dahl book. I really liked the illustrations by Quentin Blake, I remember a really gross one of the beard with all food in it!

I love that the characters were always playing tricks on one another and that they were really badly behaved – and I went to see a show of the book when I was little.

Favourite quote: 

“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

Lauren’s favourite: The BFG 

I loved The BFG, the book and the animated film; I’m a bit nervous about the remake! I liked that the main character Sophie was a bit lonely until she meets the BFG, and they sort of find eachother even though they’re both sort of left out in their own worlds. And the snozzcumbers, I liked them too.

My favourite part is when the BFG takes Sophie to the room full of the dream jars, and I always like the idea of “witching hour” which I fully believed in as a child!

Favourite quote: 

“Two rights don’t equal a left”

... and one from our author Jane Cohen who popped in to say hi!

Jane's favourite: The Witches

Roald Dahl is one of my absolute favourites! I loved The Witches; the magic in it, the way the girl moves in the picture into different positions and grows old in the photograph, and I loved that the witches all owned sweet shops to entice the children.

Favourite quote: 

"Witches of England you're a disgrace!" (and then she brings her potion out!)

We’ve also been obsessively browsing the internet for all things Roald Dahl, and here are a few of our favourite facts about the Llandaff-born author:

• His first children’s book is usually considered to be James and the Giant Peach, but actually it is The Gremlins, based on WW2 RAF folklore. The Gremlins was written when Dahl was stationed in Washington in 1942. Dahl already has a career as a WW2 fighter pilot, having flown planes in North Africa. The Gremlins takes place in southern England during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The made-up "gremlins" were commonly given the blame by the RAF personnel when anything went wrong throughout the Second World War, as Eileen Younghusband will well know.
• Roald Dahl actually co-wrote the screenplay for the children’s classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, based on the novel of the same name by Bond writer Ian Fleming. He was, in fact, the creative mind behind the chilling and villainous character The Child Snatcher (who terrifies the best of us to this day... even if we are too old for bedtime stories!), as the character didn't appear in the original novel. Thanks, Roald Dahl... 

  

  Sorry for the nightmares...

  
  
• The Fantastic Mr Fox was, at least partly, inspired by a tree that sat outside Roald Dahl’s house in Great Missenden. He used to call it the “witching tree” and tell his children stories about the family of foxes who lived inside it.

What was your favourite Roald Dahl book? Tweet us and tell us your favourites at @Candy_Jar!

Nathan Wyburn Talk and Book Signing at Dylan Thomas's Birthplace

You may remember that Nathan Wyburn, renowned and super talented pop-artist and author of Not That Kind of Art, recently created some amazing artwork featuring the revered Welsh poet Dylan Thomas for local bar and restaurant Cameo Club. This March, Nathan will be at a talk and book signing at the infamous birthplace and family home of the poet at 5 Cwndonkin Drive, Swansea.

"Join the young Welsh artist that everyone is talking about as he talks of his distinctive art style and creations that have seen him feature on TV shows, newspapers and magazines across the globe! Nathan will also be signing copies of his new book 'Not That Kind of Art' with a small accompanying exhibition."

"You won't find watercolours, pastels or oils in Nathan's work. Whether Twiggy crafted out of Twiglets, Michael Mcintyre with Marmite or Rowan Atkinson from baked beans, his celebrity portraits combine the pop-art sensibilities of Andy Warhol with non-traditional materials, creating art which is refreshing and unique. Collected for the first time, his art is presented alongside the inspiring story of his fight for both personal and professional acceptance, and his rise from South Wales valleys to national television."


The event will be run by managers of The Dylan Thomas Birthplace organisation. The house is owned by Geoff Haden, who lovingly restored the building to its 1914 condition to preserve the memories and influences which the family home had on Dylan Thomas's work. Today the building is a firm stop on the trail of any Dylan Thomas enthusiast, and is available for visits, guided tours and even dinner parties and overnight stays.


This is just one of the many exciting things to come in Nathan's calender. Be sure to catch him at Spread The Word Literature Festival in March, as well as Cardiff Children's Literature Festival in April!

The event takes place Friday 4th March at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £8 (including refreshments) and are available from the Dylan Thomas Birthplace website, or alternatively call 01792 472 555.

Not That Kind of Art is out now!

Spread The Word Festival 2016 - We're Excited!!

Candy Jar is really excited to be getting involved with the Spread The Word Literary Festival 2016, coming to you on World Book Day, Thursday March 3rd.

The amazing event is hosted by Stephens & George Centenary Charitable Trust in Merthyr Tydfil town center, and is one of the biggest annual arts and literature festival in Wales for children.

Spread The Word Festival was first launched in 2013, and with the great success that was seen has been a recurring fixture in Wales' annual line-up. With previous themes including Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland, this years event is based on characters created by the iconic Cardiff-born author Roald Dahl.

The main influence of the event will be Roald Dahl's hugely influential classic Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and the event locations will be teaming with Oompa Loompas, and even Willy Wonka (on stilts!!) Keep an eye out for the Glass Elevator!

Among the famous faces which will feature at the Merthyr Tydfil event, including BBC Drama Waterloo Road's Richard Mylan and CBBC poet Joseph Coelho, we are privileged to announce that Candy Jar authors Alison Thomas, Emmerdale actress Sammy Winward, People's Book Prize 2014 Nominee Anthony Ormond, Mark Brake & Jon Chase, and the renowned pop-culture artist Nathan Wyburn will be featuring at the event!

There will be author-led talks and workshops for children of all ages, as well as the opportunity to buy signed copies of their books and meet the authors in person.

There will be food, there will be drink, and there will even be crafty stalls to get your hands mucky!

Keep an eye out for the event schedules, and we will see you there! (hopefully in costume)

Photo credit: Sir Quentin Blake (The Guardian)

Spread The Word Festival will be held at various locations in the Merthyr Tydfil town centre Thursday March 3rd, 2016. Further details will follow.