Reasons To Be Cheerful

Sue Limb suggests we forget about the woes of Parliament for a while and get ourselves along to Stroud for five days of jolly good fun

The political situation has been so dire this year that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse came thundering up Rowcroft and laid waste to the Sub Rooms with War, Conquest, Pestilence and Chlorinated Chicken.

But tempting though it is to hide under the bedclothes, Gentlefolk of England now abed will miss one hell of a literary jamboree. The Stroud Book Festival makes its glittering return in November: a dark time of year traditionally associated with the idea of blowing up Parliament. But let’s forget about Parliament for a bit: we’ll all feel a whole lot happier.

For a start, there’s a terrific bundle of fun for children. On Thursday, November 7 there’s a Schools Day packed with delights: how to write a poem, how to write a story; Africa: Amazing Africa with star storyteller Atinuke, and a fascinating session with Onjali Q Raúf, whose first novel The Boy at the Back of the Class is a multi-award winner.

There are lots of other events for children, so many in fact that I’m tempted to disguise myself as a child and sneak in. Although maybe not: that would be weird. But I bet many grown ups are tempted by the chance to meet Julia Donaldson, who gave us The Gruffalo. I adore The Gruffalo, in fact he looks quite like my bloke on a bad day, but Julia also has new friends lined up including The Go-Away Bird and The Smeds and The Smoos.

Children all love disgusting things so they’ll adore hearing A Giant Dose of Gross about bottom-sniffers, earwax-eaters and poo-bombers from Andy Seed. (These are animals, incidentally, not politicians, but still…)