The Big Malarkey is back for its ninth year. The children’s literature festival will once again take over part of East Park, transforming it into ‘Malarkey Park’.
Established during Hull’s year as UK City of Culture 2017, this year’s festival will open on Monday 15 June with the James Reckitt Reading Conference, followed by a week of activities for schools, including the James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Awards where children aged 7 – 11 years will meet the authors and choose their favourite book in a live vote.
The family friendly festival weekend takes place on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June with a theme of ‘It’s a Mystery!’. The event will celebrate children’s books and stories, filling the park with puzzles, collecting clues, dressing-up in disguises and exploring some of the Hull’s best mysteries.
There’ll be lots of authors, illustrators, dancers, musicians, artists and theatre companies to enjoy including Michelle Robinson, Steve Webb, Sharna Jackson, Joseph Elliott, Liz Million, Mariesa Dulak, Kev F Sutherland, Fleur Hitchcock, Circo Rum Ba Ba, the Pauline Quirke Academy, Paul Cookson and Ben Rothery.
The free ‘Hook-a-Book’ stall will also return with free books for everyone to take home.
The festival is an inclusive, relaxed event, accessible to people of all ages and abilities. All events in the Big Top are BSL interpreted. There will be accessible sessions with Concrete Youth, Drake Music and the Blue Badge Bunch.
Free pocket-sized programmes are available in libraries and selected venues around the city, or can be viewed online here.
Tickets can be purchased online here or are available at all branches of Hull Libraries.
