Emma Carroll at Book Jive Live online

Book Jive Live, 10 September 2021, from £5 - Book now

This new quarterly virtual spoken word event dedicated to children’s and YA literature welcomes Emma Carroll as its first guest. Described by Book Jive Live host Joanna Howard (previously of Verbose) as the “queen of historical fiction”, Emma Carroll will be reading from her newly published book The Week At World’s End and answering questions as part of a Q&A.

Before taking up writing full time, Emma worked as an English teacher at secondary school level and before that as a reporter on a local newspaper. While studying for an MA Writing For Young People at Bath Spa University, she began Frost Hollow Hall, her first book, published in 2013. She has since written The Girl Who Walked On Air, nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2015 and one of Sunday Express’s Top 12 Summer Reads for Children in 2014, 2015’s In Darkling Wood and The Snow Sister, and Strange Star, which was a Times Children’s Book of the Week in 2016. In 2019, she published When We Were Warriors and The Somerset Tsunami, then, as a result of delays caused by the pandemic, three books are chalked up for 2021: The Ghost Garden came out at the start of the year and A Night At The Frost Fair is out in November with Simon & Schuster. In between, The Week At World’s End comes out in September with Faber.

The “queen of historical fiction”, Emma Carroll will be reading from her newly published book The Week At World’s End and answering questions as part of a Q&A.

Here’s the lowdown… Set over a few days in 1962, best friends Stevie and Ray’s boring, predictable life takes an exciting turn when they discover a runaway girl hiding in Stevie’s coal shed. The girl, Anna, needs their help: someone is following her, trying to poison her. As if that’s not dramatic enough, on the news the Americans and Russians are threatening nuclear war. The two things don’t seem connected… or are they?

Alongside the pro writer as headliner, a curated selection of unpublished writers will perform on the open mic performers, featuring picture books, MG, YA, poetry and more, so expect to hear some diverse emerging voices.

This is a not-for-profit event; once costs are covered, any remaining funds will be donated to Magic Breakfast, a charity that provides nutritious breakfasts to children living with food insecurity. Please note: due to the wide age range of material covered, this event is aimed at over 16s. If you’re looking for something for the kids to do, check out Manchester Libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge.