A CHILDREN’S book written by Radio 1 DJ Greg James and newsreader Chris Smith has been announced as next year’s Young City Reads title.
The broadcasters’ debut novel Kid Normal tells the story of Murph, a young boy who gets enrolled at a school for superheroes by mistake.
Brighton’s Young City Reads aims to get children reading and runs from March 1 to May 18, 2018. In May the authors will give a reading as part of Brighton Festival.
Sarah Hutchings, artistic director of Collected Works who run the event, said she expected a heightened level of interest because of the familiar personalities involved.
She said: “It’s always a bonus if you get somebody who is high-profile on board.
“Both of them feel very strongly about getting children to read – they both have a personal mission to do that.
“They’re both very funny and like a laugh and that’s why they chose children’s literature, because they can relate to kids having a laugh with each other.”
Ms Hutchings added that the announcement had been met with excitement from an unlikely demographic.
“When we shared the news on social media a lot of people in their 20s and 30s were asking when the event was because they wanted to come. I didn’t anticipate that.”
The idea of Young City Reads is for children to read the chosen book at the same time during the two-and-a-half month spell and discuss it together.
Primary schools can register to take part in the event for free.
Ms Hutchings said that despite stories of libraries closing and a lack of physical book sales, Young City Reads reiterates the importance of literature.
She said: “What it proves is that human beings need stories – and now more than ever – to make sense of the world.
“The wonderful thing about Young City Reads is that people who usually read in solitude can now share that experience.”
In a statement, Mr James and Mr Smith said: “We know that Brighton is full of superpowers; seagull evasion, shingle navigation and dolphin racing, to name but three.
“We hope you enjoy meeting Murph and his friends in Kid Normal.”
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