Why promote literacy?

Parasol unit is located in the London Borough of Hackney, an area identified by The National Literacy Trust as having one of the lowest literacy rates in the UK. It is with this in mind that Parasol unit developed the initiative of The London Children’s Book Fair to provide an audience of different backgrounds and ages with an opportunity to find their creative voice and share it with one another. We will build upon the success of last year’s inaugural edition of The London Children’s Book Fair (2016) and expand our outreach throughout London and beyond.

By offering free literary and illustrative workshops, poetry and storytelling sessions, and readings by favourite authors, The London Children’s Book Fair encourages young people and children to engage with literacy, creatively. The multidisciplinary workshops will provide participants with the opportunity to engage with a variety of creative approaches to literacy and to learn from the most innovative and imaginative contemporary publishers, authors and illustrators of books for young people and children. Enter this wonderful world of books – where reading is encouraged, a place where creativity is fostered and one’s imagination is unleashed. Everyone has a story to tell and we are here to listen at The London Children’s Book Fair.

How will the money you donate be used?

The funds gained from your pledges will go towards the costs involved in running the fair, including:

• supporting free and interactive workshops open to the public throughout the course of the two-day fair.
• paying artist educators’ fees for running free fringe workshops to local schools in the run-up to the fair.
• purchasing art materials and equipment required for the free school and public workshops.
• acquiring the materials needed for decoration.
• producing the marketing and merchandise to promote the fair (i.e. leaflets, posters and t-shirts).
• helping support the cost involved with the logistics and operations to make the fair happen.