Barbara’s Story Box Line-Up announced!
Wychwood Festival’s much-loved Children’s Literature tent returns for 2025.
Barbara’s Story Box, in loving memory of Barbara Pendrigh who masterminded the Story Box events for so many years, is filled with brilliant authors, captivating illustrators, and unforgettable tales.
Located in the Village Green, we invite you to meet the heroes behind some of your favourite stories, dive into magical worlds, and spark your imagination all weekend long.
Friday
- – Unicorns and Fairies with Lucy Rowland
- Join the talented Lucy Rowland in this fun-filled engaging event, focused on all things unicorns and fairies as we celebrate Lucy's latest picture book titles. There's No Such Thing As Fairies is a super sweet rhyming text that will certainly put a smile on your face and The Unicorn Who Came to School is the perfect read to have children giggling away and calm their nerves before their first day at school.
- – The Bear and the Piano with David Litchfield
- Award-winning author/illustrator David Litchfield is bringing his Bear Band on a 10th anniversary concert tour to Wychwood! Join David in a reading of The Bear and the Piano accompanied by live music from David and his Merry Band of Bears (David: Guitar, Rebecca: Pianist). After this special story-time stick around and create a piece of animal themed artwork.
- – Disaster Diaries with Joanna Nadin
- Join author Joanna Nadin and Daffodil Patterson, a small girl with BIG plans, for a rollicking adventure through the worst birthday ever! Daffodil is hoping for the Best Birthday Party EVER. But she hasn't reckoned on Colin, the greyhound with an appetite for everything except dog food. Or the fact that her brother's band Hairy Wasp would break up before they could provide the entertainment. Or the total lack of guests. Luckily, Daffodil has the knack of looking on the bright side and is soon planning her next absolute bobby-dazzler of an idea!
Saturday
- – The Perfect Present with Petr Horáček
Come and meet Petr Horáček, the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture books such as Silly Suzy Goose, Puffin Peter, Blue Monster, The Greedy Goat, and The Perfect Present for an interactive and inspiring event.
Petr is going to read you some of his books, show you how to draw some of his favourite characters and teach you how to make a bear smile. It may be a bit scary, but it's definitely going to be fun! This is the perfect present for anybody who loves picture books!
- – Kids’ Crafts with Chaz and Anthony
Create a Portrait with Anthony
Joining the House of Chaz workshop is Anthony, a talented artist whose signature style brings faces to life with bold, expressive pen and ink. With a passion for detail and a relaxed approach, Anthony will be on hand to guide and inspire festival-goers as they get creative alongside Chaz.
- – The Curse of the Tomb Robbers with Andy Seed
Join Blue Peter award-winning author Andy Seed for a brilliant and interactive event with The Curse of the Tomb Robbers as ancient Egyptian friends, Nub and Iteti uncover a plot to raid Queen Neith’s tomb!
Expect puzzles to solve, fascinating facts about ancient Egypt and learn how to decode hieroglyphs in this fun hands-on session.
And you might even have the chance to get up-close to a life-sized replica of a sarcophagus.
Andy’s events are guaranteed hilarity!
- – Hank Goes Honk with Duncan Beedie
Meet Hank the Goose. He's never met a balloon he didn't pop, or a conversation he didn't – HONK! – interrupt. Hank even honks in the library and during movies! But, being this way isn't always fun – and it's upsetting everyone else…. Maybe it's time for a change?
Join best-selling author-illustrator Duncan Beedie for a brilliant and honkingly-hilarious story-time with drawing activities – and of course lots of honking! And, if you are really lucky you might also hear about his next book, I Really, Really Love My Noisy Bum!
- – Escape Room: Game Zero with Christopher Edge
Welcome to The Escape – an epic new world full of puzzles, peril and challenges to beat before time runs out. But wait, this is no ordinary game… Do you dare to play?
Join author Christopher Edge on a heart-racing journey as he brings the levels of the game to life and explores the imaginative, empowering world of his mind-bendingly brilliant novel, Escape Room: Game Zero. Anything is possible and nothing is as it seems; can you help Christopher uncover the secrets of The Escape and save the world, before it’s too late?
- – The Search For Carmella with Chloe Savage
Join Chloe Savage, the author and illustrator of The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish, winner of Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for an exciting session full of creativity, crafts, incredible storytelling and wonderful, magical sea-creatures!
Follow Chloe as she dives into her beautiful new book The Search For Carmella; a stunning story about wonder, bravery, and the freedom to pursue your curiosity. Marvel at the incredible, and almost unbelievable, creatures that inhabit a nearly pitch-black world.
- – Barbara’s Big Bonanza with a host of amazing authors and illustrators
Come and join Wychwood authors and illustrators past and present for an afternoon of fun in celebration of Barbara who masterminded the Story Box events for so many years. We have a smorgasbord of entertainment for you to laugh at, sing along with and to make you smile. There will be stories, poems, quizzes, a big draw-off between illustrators, music, singalongs and much more. All ably hosted by maestro Philip Ardagh!
And to finish there will be cake!
Sunday
- – Kids’ Crafts with Chaz and Anthony
- Step into the world of creativity with Chaz from House of Chaz! With over 20 years of experience crafting dazzling costumes and eye-catching props, Chaz brings a playful, hands-on workshop to Wychwood that’s perfect for all ages. Whether you're a seasoned maker or a total beginner, come get stuck in and create something magical.
- – Do You See The Tiger? with Philip Ardagh and David Melling
Join Philip Ardagh, creator of the Bunnies on the Bus series and David Melling, creator of the Hugless Douglas books for a glorious celebration of children’s imagination! Discover their new joyful, action-packed story about a child who spots a tiger on the tube, and the adventure they go on together as they return a lost teddy…
With Philip’s signature humour and storytelling magic and David’s superb illustrations brought to life, this is an event perfect for families and young readers.
- – Mission Microraptor with Philip Kavvadias
Falling behind their classmates on a school trip to the Alps, Finn and Milo stumble upon an egg buried in ice. Later that night it hatches and a sixty-five million-year-old baby is born: Arty is a microraptor brought back from extinction.
Join Philip Kavvadias, author of the Mission: Microraptor series for a RAPTOR-ous event! Think Jurassic Park meets Wimpy Kid with a dash of Alex Rider in this all-action adventure series. Create a brand new species of dinosaur and get your own signed copy afterwards!
- – Ruffles with David Melling
Join author and illustrator David Melling for a fantastic storytelling and draw-along event for his beloved Ruffles series!
Learn how to draw the precocious pup, help him tackle all his tricksy toddler troubles and discover all the things that Ruffles likes …and the things he doesn’t!
- – Shifty McGifty And Slippery Sam with Tracey Corderoy
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam are the world's most useless burglars, and their new master plan for a robbery is going hopelessly wrong! Will their neighbours catch them red-handed?
Join award-winning author, Tracey Corderoy, for a fantastic event all about these robber dogs turned crime-solving baking duo! Expect interactive storytelling and draw-alongs, as Tracey brings her books to life. Drawing, games – it’s sure to be PAW-some!
- – Solve Your Own Mystery with Gareth P Jones
Gareth P Jones presents a show in which the audience is invited to create a brand-new mystery. Inspired by Solve Your Own Mystery series this is a show unlike any other.
Expect live music, a yeti detective, fast-rapping, interactive story-telling, anarchic humour, unexpected plot twists and maybe the odd zombie or two.
