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Festival Friends

“Please join me in supporting this innovative and truly inspiring project, and help ever more children discover the magic of words, stories and books in unique and unforgettable ways.”

James Mayhew, author of the Katie and Ella Bella picture books will be creating our first Pop Up postcard to announce the arrival of Spring 2012.

Become a Festival Friend
What we're up to right now

Guardian Books

Programme Downloads

Everyone has a story

Pop Up inspires communities through stories. Our far-reaching literature and story-making programme for schools and families impacts on thousands of children and parents. This is followed by a major public celebration bringing communities and families, authors and artists together: the Pop Up Festival of Stories.

Our 2012 Pop Up King's Cross programme includes:
  • Pop Up Schools Programme - 11th-29th June - where 3000 children in local schools read books and take part in over 100 author workshops at local museums, libraries, galleries and public spaces
  • Pop Up Family Programme - May-July - where 300 children and parents collaborate with artists to make and share stories
  • Pop Up Festival of Stories at King's Cross Central - 30th June & 1st July - with 84 hours of sensational events and imaginative experiences for children of all ages - all provided absolutely free!

And that's not all: we've also developed a brand new schools literature programme, in partnership with seven schools in Hackney, supported by Linklaters and Inspire. Take a look at all the great books and authors involved in Booklinks, 27th Feburary-2nd March.

Be part of the Pop Up story

And help bring books and authors to 1000's of children and families in 2012

Join our Friends Scheme for just £25 and receive:
  • Four seasonal Pop Up postcards created exclusively by an illustrator or writer – plus we’ll send a limited edition card to one of your friends at Christmas!
  • A profile on a brand new Friends area of our website – so you can share your love of stories with the world
  • Invitations to special events throughout the year
How to join:
  • Donate £25 via PayPal and email friends@pop-up.org.uk with your contact details
  • Send a £25 cheque plus contact details to Pop Up Projects CIC Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA
Tuesday
Sep062011

DateTuesday, September 6, 2011

Pop Up Festival of Stories 2011

The first ever Pop Up Festival of Stories took place over the weekend of July 9th & 10th 2011 in Coram’s Fields and The Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury, attended by almost 6000 children and parents. There was magic, poetry, art and jazz with Michael Rosen and friends, mystery and illusion inside Philip Ardagh’s ‘House of Illusions’, myth-making with Geraldine McCaughrean, movies at the Renoir Cinema, and Moomins holding tea-parties. James Mayhew made a giant pop-up book, Axel Scheffler came with Pip and Posy, Rastamouse creators Michael De Souza and Genevieve Webster whipped up a carnival, Catherine Johnson made up tall tales in her ‘Nest of Vipers’ tavern, while illustrators, storytellers, dancers and musicians entertained inside Karin Littlewood's enchanting ‘Immi’s Igloo’. And everything was free! The sun shone all weekend long, the marquees were bursting to capacity, and they never stopped selling books at The Guardian Bookshop. What a wonderful, story-filled weekend it was!