Hello booklovers,

I am happy to believe that Christmas is the time for giving, but the art of gift wrapping is not one at  which I am particularly skilled.

As I sit amongst my welter of badly cut wrapping paper, recalcitrant sticky tape, inkless pens and toppling gift tags, surrounded by the strangest assortment of items considered to be the perfect presents for my dear family and friends, the three wise men and their three gifts for the Christ child seem a world away.

A more recent Christmas story, celebrating the art of giving, may provide a link between those ancient gift givers and this poor purveyor of presents.

New York in the late 19^th century is the setting for a quirky, moving story told so beautifully and with great pathos by the American short story writer, O Henry (William Sidney Porter).

Della and Jim are a young couple who have fallen on hard times, but still feel the necessity to give each other a gift at Christmas. The trouble they take and the sacrifices they make, to ensure the happiness of the recipient, make for a heart warming tale filled with unselfish love.

The tale is charmingly told in quaint and lovely language “metricious ornamentation” sits alongside “appertaining hereunto” and we are greeted with the wonderful reflection “that life is made up of sobs, sniffles and smiles, with sniffles predominating” early on in the narrative.

O Henry keenly observes the material struggles of his characters, whilst underpinning the whole story with the rightness of their quests because they love each other and it is Christmas. The Wise Men travelled afar amid some personal danger not least from the wrath of Herod, to present the right gifts to the King of Kings to sustain his life on earth.

No pressure for me then. Back to the wrapping…

Bookish best,

Anna and the Festival Team x

Hello booklovers,

A question I often ask myself is where on earth would we be without Michael Morpurgo. He is an author who has accompanied me through my childhood, constantly taking myself, my brother and my friends to other worlds and time periods, meeting exciting new characters and encouraging us o see the world from a different perspective. At Christmas he waves his wand again, as On Angel Wings is a perfect example of Michael Morpurgo’s literary magic.

‘The Truth is that once we weren’t children any more we never did believe Grandpa’s story, not really, much as we might have wanted. It was just too improbable, too fantastical.’

Grandpa’s story is told to his grandchildren and us on Christmas Night. He tells the tale of himself, his father and his brothers, detailing the events of an evening spent watching their sheep which would change their lives forever. They are paid a visit by an angel, who tells them of the birth of a baby in Bethlehem. The family take some convincing – they can’t quite believe the significance of this particular baby or the need to treck all the way to Bethlehem to visit him…until the Angel Gabriel summons his choir of angels. Our hero is ‘simply spellbound’.

Yet it transpires that he may not gather in Bethlehem – he is deemed too young, too frightened, too much of a baby by his big brothers and must stay to watch over the sheep. Luckily for our hero, the Angel Gabriel thinks differently and, as the beautiful Quentin Blake cover illustration details, takes him on a journey on angel wings, with a gift for the new born king.

This is a tale of faith, belief and a sprinkling of magic, perfect to read on Christmas night. Michael Morpurgo takes us on another literary journey, from which we all learn something new.

Merry best,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

Hello booklovers,

Our favourite festival feline returns to our screens with another Christmas Cat – today Earl the cat has selected Slinki Malinki’s Christmas Cracker as his festive tail (pardon the pun) of choice.

Slinki Malinki, rapscallion cat, is up to his usual tricks and causing mayhem – except this time it is magnified because it’s Christmas! There are decorations to destroy and trees to topple… Whilst Judith Kerr’s Mog finds Christmas to be a pain in the neck, Slinki Malinki seems to view it as a new challenge for naughtiness. For, as quick as a flash, he is scaling the Christmas tree. knotting the tinsel, batting the baubles and kidnapping the fairy doll, leaving his family with a ‘glorious mess’…

You can’t help but smile at the mischievous expression on Slinki Malinki’s face as he dismantles the decorations one by one, bringing some much needed hilarity into the Christmas celebrations. Paired with beautiful illustrations, Lynley Dodd’s wonderful rhymes are playful and fun to read with children and grown ups alike, which is perfect for this special time of year where we are all gathering with our families (and their pets!), to spend time together and perhaps share a book. We hope you enjoy Slinki Malinki’s festive antics!

Yuletide wishes,

Imogen and the Festival Team (and the Festival Cat) x

Hello booklovers,

Behind Advent door number 18, we give you Noel Streatfeild’s Christmas stories. Published by Virago Children’s Classics, Streatfeild’s lesser known short stories are brought to life again for a new generation of readers. These charming, festive tales are perfect escapism from the world around us, where problems are solved and happiness reigns. Originally written for magazines and annuals in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, the majority of the collection haven’t been seen for over 50 years!

Noel Streatfeild is a much loved author amongst the women in my family. As children, myself, my mum and my grandma each lapped up Ballet Shoes, When the Siren Wailed and the autobiographical Vicarage series, to name a few of many brilliant titles, so we were all delighted when we discovered the publication of this book. The discovery of tales such as ‘The Bells Keep Twelfth Night’ and ‘The Pantomime Goose’ has been absolutely thrilling and has given a snapshot into the literary and festive world of Christmases past.

Streatfeild was a fascinating woman: she was born in 1895, the daughter of the Bishop of Lewes and the great-granddaughter of the prison reformer Elizabeth Fry. She trained at RADA, then moved on to publish six novels for adults. Luckily for so many children she also decided to start writing stories for young readers and she did so with abundance. Streatfeild created wonderful worlds where ordinary children have the capacity and the opportunity to become exceptional, all the while underlining the importance of kindness, good intentions and courtesy. Noel Streatfeild’s Christmas Stories is the equivalent of a delicious chocolate box, full of delights to discover and savour over the course of the Christmas holidays.

Merry best, until tomorrow!

Imogen and the Festival Team x

 

Hello booklovers,

Behind today’s Advent door we bring you a slice of festive non-fiction in the form of Merry Midwinter by Gillian Monks. I came across this delightful and unusual little book last year in an independent bookshop and haven’t looked back since. Gillian provides her reader with a facsimile of facts, hints and tips you could possibly need to strip away the 21st century commercialism that has latched onto this joyful celebration, all with the aim to ensure a meaningful and merry festive season for all.

Merry Midwinter truly is a fascinating book, crammed to the brim with interesting tidbits of information, recipes and innovative ideas. Whilst Christmas is central to Merry Midwinter, the focus is more on the Midwinter season in its entirety and all of the traditions that it brings. Throughout the course of reading, we learn about Diwali, Hanukkah, All Saints Day (the 1st of November) and Epiphany, and many more interesting festivals, events and figures. We hear about Frau Holle (Mother Holly), an ancient fertility and earth goddess who rewards the good and punishes the bad, and the battles between the Oak King and the Holly King who fight for the right to rule every solstice.

Infused with personal stories, Merry Midwinter is a pleasure to dip in and out of over the festive season. I love to hear about other strange family traditions: the odd decorations that are wheeled out each year, the games played and the songs sung. Gillian brings the fun and familiarity back into Christmas and the festive season and is well worth a read for those who need their faith restored in Midwinter.

‘Christmas is to remind us of the importance of love… not just to provide a reason for expressing it every few days in December each year, but to spur us on in our endeavours to give it full rein ALL year round.’

What a lovely sentiment to take with us as we enter the week before Christmas!

Festive wishes to you all,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

 

Hello booklovers,

The story of the Nativity itself is of course a central tenet of the Christian belief system and provides a background that we may take for granted as we prepare for the feast of Christmas. The solid presence of the stable and its familiar occupants is so strong as both a visual and emotional aid to our Christmas celebrations.

I vividly remember a visit to Ely Cathedral just after Christmas one year, where as we entered that magnificent place we were greeted by the glorious vision of a huge illuminated Christmas tree surrounded by all the figures of the Nativity including the Wise Men who had finally made it up the aisle to join the others, the date was the 6^th January, Twelfth Night, Epiphany. The Magi were in place to offer their gifts to the Christ Child. A cold bleak day was warmed and cheered for us.

The success of the lengthy journey of the three wise men is well documented biblically, and in literature, and allows our Christmas celebrations to extend over twelve days. But many writers have been inspired by the idea of a fourth traveller who also followed the star, but failed to reach the stable. What of him?

The Greatest Gift, retells the story of this fourth wise man, based on a popular account written many years before by Henry Van Dyke. We hear about Artaban, a follower of the Zoroastrian faith, for whom the study of astronomy is of great importance, friend to Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, who sets out from Persia intent on following a most significant star with his friends, but then failing to meet up with them.

The story we read in this wonderful retelling by Susan Summer, accompanied by the most vivid and beautiful illustrations of Jackie Morris, allows us to follow Artaban as he fails to follow the star. But the reasons for his failure lead us, and him, on a different  journey that is just as true to the ageless spirit of Christmas, and to all the best actions any of us can muster, not just at this time of year.

Hankie alert, I have never made it through this story, particularly when reading aloud to small children, without a break in the voice and a bit of a tear in the eye. This is a truly heartwarming, compassion filled, thought provoking tale, to be read carefully during these times in which we live, at Christmas and beyond.

Yuletide wishes,

Anna and the Festival Team x

 

Hello booklovers,

‘Jo was the first to wake in the grey dawn of Christmas morning. No stockings hung at the fireplace, and for a moment she felt as much disappointed as she did long ago, when her little sock fell down because it was so crammed with goodies. Then she remembered her mother’s promise, and, slipping her hand under her pillow, drew out a little crimson-covered book.’

Christmas morning with Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women never fails to make me feel festive as we read Jo’s anticipation that we all remember from childhood of waiting to see what fun and gifts the day would bring. Particularly befitting to our own literary celebration, the March girls are given books to read as their Christmas gift from their mother. My own lovely mum, in order to ensure that noisy,small people didn’t disturb the rest of the household too early, would also slip a book onto the top of our stockings to keep us occupied in the wee small (and exciting) hours of Christmas day.

The girls, who as you can imagine on Christmas morning were ‘unusually hungry’, gave their mouth-watering breakfast to a family in need. The timeless generosity of this act seems of particular prevalence to us all now, given the sobering statistics detailing just how many families are relying on food parcels from food banks in the UK as I write. I think, regardless of our differences, we can all learn from Meg, Jo, Beth and even Amy, who are the embodiment of  the importance of compassion, family and generosity. They teach us that we can all enjoy great tidings of comfort and joy by giving what we can and doing what we can to make the lives of other better.

Festive best,

Imogen and the Festival Team x

Hello booklovers,

Behind today’s Advent door I present you with a very special book of mine. Given to me by my grandparents the Christmas after I returned home from my first term at University, A Literary Christmas is very precious to me. This anthology is to all intents and purposes a literary Christmas stocking, full to the brim with festive extracts from stories and novels, with sprinklings of poetry and verse.

A Literary Christmas is organised into eight different sections: Before Christmas, The Nativity, Christmas Day, Christmas Fare (my favourite – very entertaining to read about the varying success of festive foods in literature!), Christmas at War, A Child’s Christmas, Seasonal Snow and Ice and New Year. So, as you can imagine, there is something here for everyone at any point in the festive season!

We encounter a festive scene from Wuthering Heights alongside ‘The Oxen’ by Thomas Hardy. You can find Samuel Pepys’s diary entry from Christmas 1662 right next to an extract from Nancy Mitford’s highly entertaining Christmas Pudding. Or how about a giggle in the form of the brilliant Benjamin Zephaniah’s ‘Talking Turkeys!!’, an anthem for our feathered friends who have a tricky time over the festive period, with a smattering of animal magic from The Wind in the Willows? I have only mentioned a fragment of this glorious celebration of Christmas in literature which truly is a delight to dip in and out of throughout the Christmas season.

Yuletide wishes, until tomorrow!
Imogen and the Festival Team x

Hello booklovers,

All hail the magnificent Michael Rosen who has been bringing joy, fun and a great deal of common sense into the literary world for many years. His impact on the literary diet of generations of children, from the wonderful ‘Chocolate Cake’ to the brilliant ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and so very much more, has been immeasurable. Behind today’s Advent calendar door we are delighted to bring you a festive offering from Mr Rosen, in the form of Bah! Humbug!

‘Every Christmas needs a little Scrooge…’

Never has a statement rung more true and especially so in the case of Harry Gruber and his dad, Ray. Harry has the honour of playing Ebenezer Scrooge in his school Christmas play and it appears as though he is actually rather talented in the acting sphere. But his main concern doesn’t lie with his performance – he is most worried about making his dad proud which, it turns out, is easier said than done. Ray is a very impatient man, glued to his phone and obsessed with the success of his career, regardless of Christmas celebrations and his family’s achievements… to the extent that he leaves the performance to make an important call at the very moment when Harry is getting into his stride.

Just as Harry in his guise of Scrooge is visited by several spirits throughout the course of the play, Ray has similar experiences as he is haunted by memories of his past and realisations about his future if he doesn’t change his ways, expertly touching upon Dickensian themes of longing and regret. A wonderful read for adults and children alike, I think we have a new festive classic upon the horizon!

All the very merry best,

Imogen and the festival team x

Hello booklovers,

Our outgoing Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is behind today’s Advent door, bringing with her one of her magnificent festive poems, Pablo Picasso’s Noel. Throughout this charming little book, beautifully illustrated by Léa Maupetit, we follow Pablo Picasso and his dog on an artistic journey around a small town in France on Christmas Eve. His voyage is punctuated, as so many festive celebrations are, by people, music and food. Our duo of man and dog spread joy and merriment wherever they go.

‘A sweet winter light blushed

as Pablo Picasso walked with his dog

under the cypress trees

and the bell of the old chapel guessed at the hour.

It was Christmas eve.’

Duffy manages to capture perfectly that beautiful stillness that we can sometimes feel on the night before Christmas, a moment of peace and reflection before the mayhem and festivities of the day ahead. Just as Advent makes everyday items and rituals in the days building up to Christmasspecial, Picasso adds a sprinkle of festive magic through the painting and drawing on his Christmas Eve  journey. He paints objects, like plates and wineglasses, and people; a barmaid and a caroling musician. He paints a wall with the mural of a dove, a potent symbol of peace. Last of all he sketches the townsfolk as they troop into church for Midnight Mass and waits and watches as a young boy leads a lamb into the church for the Christmas service.

Through this short and sweet nugget of festive fun, Carol Ann Duffy and Pablo Picasso reminds us of the simple, everyday pleasures and joys of Christmas.

Yuletide wishes,

Imogen and the Festival Team x