Tam Dean Burn endeavours to read all 195 of Julia Donaldson’s books to children across Scotland. Part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme
ON June 14 Tam Dean Burn and friends will set off an adventure across Scotland, as part of the Glasgow 2014 Culture programme. Following the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR), Tam will endeavour to read all 195 books and plays, and sing all the songs written by former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson to children along the route, travelling as much as possible by bicycle.
Tam will continue his challenge throughout Glasgow during Festival 2014, until 03 August.
Tam Dean Burn says: “This is a fantastic unique opportunity for me to engage with the extraordinary range of work by one the most important authors of recent times. To have the chance to tour the length and breadth of Scotland at this unprecedented moment in its history, reaching out to its bairns everywhere, with such wonderful stories and songs, is truly amazing.”
Julia Donaldson is one of the UK’s most successful authors and her books for children – including The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom – have won many prizes and are perennial bestsellers around the world.
Julia Donaldson says: “I feel really honoured that my stories, songs and plays are going to be performed as part of the cultural celebrations for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I’m full of admiration for Tam Dean Burn’s enterprise and energy, and hope to catch up with him at some point along the story trail.”
The Marathon Storytelling Cycle Challenge has gigs for families and children across Scotland and Glasgow including in libraries, on a boat, in schools, woods, village halls, sports grounds, shopping centres, at Live Zones during Festival 2014, and surprise pop-up readings by Tam along the route.
The storytelling tour will travel from Stirling to Sumburgh, from Greenock to Gretna , Kirkwall to Kircudbright and from Stranraer to Stornoway; visiting all local authorities across Scotland.
All events are free with a complimentary copy of one of Julia Donaldson’s books, generously supplied by her publishers and certificate for groups, and stickers for children along the way.
There will also be an outdoor resource park made available in June, inspired by Julia Donaldson’s books, free for download, and aimed at nursery and primary school teachers and community groups.
This pack has been created in association with the Children’s Wood Education Committee.
There is a send-off event as part of the West End Festival on 13 June, in the Children’s Wood, North Kelvin Meadow, Glasgow, at the Worm Carnival at which Tam will be reading Superworm.
Accompanying Tam Dean Burn, on the journey, and musically, is Andy Alston (from the band Del Amitri) on accordion and Emma Schad on flute. There will be many opportunities for local young musicians to play along to her songs and for young people to join Tam in taking part in readings of Julia’s plays, written to aid reading.
Julia has written 195 original books for toddlers, children and young people, including picture books, poems, plays, phonic books and songs. Much loved and best-selling stories include, Stick Man, The Paper Dolls, The Snail and the Whale, What the Ladybird Heard and Jack and The Flumflum Tree.
Other highlights of the tour will involve Tam reading rare Julia Donaldson titles; brand new stories published this summer, and two new musicals.
Tam Dean Burn is a celebrated Scottish actor and performer on stage and screen.
He will be seen in Sky Atlantic’s new drama series, Fortitude, later this year. He has a passion for reading out loud and has voiced many of Irvine Welsh’s audio books as well as the complete works of William Blake for ResonanceFM, the London Art Radio Station.
Julia Donaldson’s characters are vividly brought to life in her books by a host of leading illustrators, creating extraordinary worlds for her stories to inhabit. These illustrators include Axel Scheffler, Rebecca Cobb, Lydia Monks and David Roberts.
The Marathon Storytelling Cycle Challenge is produced by Books on a Bike with the support of all Julia Donaldson’s publishers including: Macmillan, Scholastic, Harper Collins, Oxford University Press, Pearson, Egmont Press, Hodder, Hachette Children’s Books, Little Gems, Puffin and A &C Black, as well as Julia Donaldson’s illustrators including: ©Rebecca Cobb, ©Lydia Monks, ©David Roberts and ©Axel Scheffler.
Details of the challenge and information on all Julia Donaldson’s books and can be found at www.booksonabike.com. The site will be live from 01 June 2014.
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For further information please contact Emma Schad – emma@booksonabike.com / 07930308108
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Tour dates: June 14th to August 03rd 2014
Event listings: www.facebook.com/booksonabike
Follow the tour: @booksonabike and booksonabike.com (from 1 June)
READINGS CONFIRMED TO DATE – NEW DATES ADDED DAILY
ALL EVENT ARE FREE
For Live event listings and updates please visit www.facebook.com/booksonabike during the tour.
13 June Glasgow Launch event – Children’s Wood, Worm Carnival at 11am
14 June Edinburgh Craigmillar Library (am) and Princes St Gardens (pm)
15 June 2014 West Lothian Linlithgow Palace (from 11am), Armadale Community Centre, Howden Park, Livingston
16 June 2014 Midlothian Dalkeith Country Park and St Luke’s and Mayfield
17 June 2014 East Lothian locations tbc
18 June 2014 Scottish Borders locations tbc
19 June 2014 Dumfries & Galloway Agnew Park, Stanraer, Gretna, Kirkcudbright
20 June 2014 South Ayrshire locations tbc
21 June 2014 East Ayrshire Galston, Crosshouse Hospital, The Dick Institute, The Cross, Kilmarnock Town Centre
22 June 2014 South Lanarkshire Rutherglen, East Kilbride Arts Centre, Hamilton, Rutherglen Library, Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds
23 June 2014 North Lanarkshire Airdrie, Mavisbank School and Newmains Primary School
24 June 2014 Falkirk Callendar Park (lunch) and The Helix (early eve)
25 June 2014 Clackmannanshire locations tbc
26 June 2014 Fife locations tbc
27 June 2014 Dundee, Dundee City locations tbc
28 June 2014 Angus locations tbc
29 June 2014 Aberdeenshire locations tbc
30 June 2014 Aberdeen City locations tbc
01 July 2014 Shetland Islands Scalloway School, Brae School and Lerwick Library
02 July 2014 Aberdeenshire locations tbc
03 July 2014 Moray Milnes Primary School, Fochabers, Buckie, Lhanbryde, Lossiemouth, Hopeman,Elgin Library, Cooper Park Marquee tent, Cooper Park
04 July 2014 Perth and Kinross Perth Town Centre
05 July 2014 Perth and Kinross locations tbc
06 July 2014 Stirling The Peak (leisure complex)
07 July 2014 Argyll and Bute Stirling
08 July 2014 Eilean Siar Tarbet and Stornoway
09 July 2014 Highland Ullapool, the Macphail Centre, Lairg and Thurso
10 July 2014 Highlands and Islands Orkney – Stromness and Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall
11 July 2014 Highlands and Islands Wick, Brora, Dingwall, Pefferside Park and Jubilee Parks
12 July 2014 Highlands locations tbc
13 July 2014 Argyll and Bute Dunoon
14 July 2014 Inverclyde Greenock
15 July 2014 Inverclyde Coronation Park, Port Glasgow, Battery Park, Greenock
16 July 2014 East Renfrewshire Newton Mearns Library, Clarkston Library, Eastwood Park Theatre, Isobel Mairi Special Needs School
17 July 2014 East Renfrewshire Busby Library and Paisley
18 July 2014 West Dunbartonshire locations tbc
19 July 2014 East Dunbartonshire Kilmardinny Loch, Milngavie Libary and Mugdock Country Park, Kirkintilloch, William Patrick Libary, Bishopriggs Leisure Drome
THROUGHOUT GLASGOW DURING FESTIVAL 2014
26 July 2014 Kelvingrove Bandstand Glasgow, Live Zone at 10.30am
29 July 2014 Kelvingrove Bandstand Glasgow, Live Zone at 10.30am
31 July 2014 The Tall Ship, from 11am to 1pm
Full dates in Glasgow to be announced including sessions at Live at the Quay, the Riverside Museum, the Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, the Children’s Wood amongst others. Additional listings to be announced.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme is a key part of the Games experience for spectators and visitors. Running until the end of August 2014, it will showcase the best of Scottish culture alongside creative work from across the Commonwealth and be a nationwide celebration of the Games, reaching its peak as Glasgow bursts into life at Games time.
There are two strands: a Scotland-wide programme called Culture 2014; and a Games-time celebration in Glasgow running alongside the sporting action called Festival 2014. The Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme is a partnership between the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, Glasgow Life, and Creative Scotland through National Lottery funding.
Julia Donaldson is one of the UK’s most successful authors and her books for children – including The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom – have won many prizes and are perennial bestsellers around the world.
She is also the author of many songs, plays and novels including the award-winning Running on the Cracks for teenagers and the Princess Mirabelle stories. In 2011 Julia was appointed Children’s Laureate. During her laureateship she undertook a tour performing in libraries from John O’Groats to Lands End to publicise the current plight of libraries in the UK, and launched a website PictureBookPlays.co.uk to help teachers act out stories with children.
The National Portrait Gallery commissioned Peter Monkman to paint Julia, and this portrait of her in her ‘props room’ now hangs in the gallery. She received an MBE for her services to literature.
ENDS
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Contact: Emma Schad
Phone: 07930308018
Email: emma@booksonabike.com
Website: http://www.booksonabike (live from 1 June)
