A FREE family event will be held at Selby Abbey this month to encourage literacy for children.

The Families and Communities Day will be held on Saturday, March 30, as part of the Selby Children’s Literary Festival.

A preview event for the festival will be held on March 26 with An Evening With The Artists, a paid event where visitors can meet authors who will be taking part in the festival.

Those authors include Michael Bradley, former member of The Undertones, who will read excerpts of his autobiography, and who will officially open on March 27 at Selby Abbey, at 9am.

Former CBeebies performer Cerrie Burnell will also read excerpts from her children’s book The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth at the family event on Saturday at Selby Abbey.

Event Director Christina Gabbitas set up the first festival for the town, two years ago.

She said: “Michael is flying over especially to help kick start the festival. I met Michael when we were both Peoples’s Book Prize Finalist at Stationers Hall in London and he was happy to help and be an ambassador for Children’s Literature Festivals.

“There are over 350 literature festivals in the UK with less than 10 per cent solely dedicated for children. There are some wonderful festivals but very few throughout England and not easily accessed for children and families from all backgrounds.

“The first Selby Children’s Literature Festival was held in 2017 and was a huge success engaging over 3,500 children and families. We hope to introduce many more children’s literature festivals throughout England in the near future.”

In January, a Poetry Competition was launched by the festival for children aged seven to 14 to write a poem about Selby Abbey to help celebrate its 950th anniversary.

The winners, which will be published in a commemorative book and exhibited in the Abbey, will be announced at the Families and Communities Day on March 30.

Throughout the family day, authors including Nigel Womack, Donovan Christopher, Cerrie Burnell, Andy Seed and Salma Zaman will read and perform their children’s books from 10.30am, with interactive sessions and book signings taking place throughout.

Tickets are still available for the launch event on March 26, and can be booked by emailing info@christinagabbitas.com