On the Same Page – early book sharing across health, education and the arts

Published on: 17 January 2019

BookTrust in Northern Ireland unveils details of their conference to be held at the Crescent Arts Centre Belfast on Tuesday 5 March 2019, 9.00am – 1.30pm followed by lunch, networking & exhibitions.

Supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and with contributions from a range of partners we are looking forward to an exciting programme. It is free to attend and each delegate will receive a conference bag with a copy of Dan Freedman's new book Unstoppable, along with book guides, shared reading tips and other fantastic resources.

We can now confirm the following speakers who will present on NI policy and practice with regards to early book sharing and children's reading:

• Welcome and introduction: Koulla Yiasouma – Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People
• Siobhan Slavin – Nurse Consultant for Early and School Years, Public Health Agency
• Cathy Galway – Director of Youth, Education and Childcare, Department of Education NI
• Damian Smyth – Head of Literature and Drama, Arts Council of NI

An exciting line up of authors and illustrators will bring the world of children's books to life:

• Dan Freedman – Author of the Jamie Johnson football series of books
• Myra Zepf – Children's Writing Fellow for NI
• Andrew Whitson – Illustrator of Molly and the Stormy Sea
• Kelly McCaughrain – Author of Flying Tips for Flightless Birds

Research on the benefits of early book sharing and how BookTrust uses this to inform our programmes:

• Kelly Walsh – Head of Research and Impact, BookTrust
• Helen Wales – Head of Country, BookTrust Cymru

The morning will be a celebration of cross departmental working and the impact that early book sharing is having. It will also be an opportunity to thank our corporate and statutory partners who support our diversified funding model and enable us to reach so many children.