What started as a collection of short stories released by Â鶹ԼÅÄ Oxford in aid of charity is rapidly becoming a phenomenon!
We launched a competition where we challenged Oxfordshire's talented children to complete five stories started by some top authors. The winners then saw their efforts in print, as the completed works were released as a collection called The Traveller's Tale & Other Stories released in aid of Children In Need.
With copies flying off bookshelves across the county we wanted to go a step further, and we have invited some star names into our studios to read you these magical tales. The impressive line up includes Jeremy Irons, Ian Ogilvy, Matt Allwright, Eamonn Holmes, Graeme Garden, Sarah Kennedy and Bernard Cribbins!
Simply click on the links above to transport yourself on some wonderful adventures.
You can also browse our gallery of writers and contributors, and read on to learn more from their profiles.
Julia Golding, author of Be What You Want To Be, grew up on the edge of Epping Forest.Ìý After reading English at Cambridge, she joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland.Ìý Her work as a diplomat took her from the high point of town twinning in the Tatra Mountains to the low of inspecting the bottom of a Silesian coal mine. On leaving Poland, she joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the United Nations and with governments to lessen the impact on civilians living in war zones. Married with three children, she lives in Oxford.ÌýHer first novel for children, The Diamond of Drury Lane, was published in January 2006 by Egmont, closely followed by Secret of the Sirens (Oxford) in March, the first part of the Companions Quartet. Tobias Druitt, author of The Minotaur, is the penname of mother-and-son writing team Diane Purkiss and Michael Dowling.Ìý They are the authors of Corydon and the Island of Monsters, and of two more books about Corydon published by Simon and Schuster.Ìý Diane is an Oxford don and teaches English at Keble College.Ìý Michael is eleven, but he was eight when he wrote Corydon and the Island of Monsters.Ìý He enjoys reading, gaming, fencing and chess.Ìý Alan Snow, author of Pink Goo, is 46 and lives in Bath. He had a long and varied career with jobs as diverse as mixing flavours into yogurt, to animation, and forestry. Over the years he has written and/or illustrated over 160 books, and has just had his first novel published, Here be Monsters! (Oxford). Katherine Langrish, author of Weasel, grew up in the Yorkshire Dales.Ìý She always wanted to be an author, beginning when she was ten by writing a 'Narnia' story in an old blue notebook, which she still has.Ìý She studied English at London University.
Katherine has lived in France, where she ran a storytelling group for children, and also in a small town in America, where bears lived at the top of the road.Ìý On coming back to England, Katherine wrote Troll Fell which was published by HarperCollins in 2004.Ìý The sequel, Troll Mill was published in 2005, and her third book, Troll Blood, will be published in 2006.Ìý In order to research the new book, she recently spent time in Denmark learning how to sail a Viking ship. Katherine is married with two daughters, and now lives in Oxfordshire. Chris Smith, author of Rainbow, is a storyteller, musician and writer with a special interest in traditional stories from around the world: "Stories open doorways into other worlds and other ways."Ìý He is co-author of The Islamic Year, a book of sacred and traditional stories about the Muslim belief, and performs regularly in the schools, theatres and festivals nationwide. Chris directs the schools programme of the Story Museum in Oxford. Gilly McMullin, author of The Traveller’s Tale, is 12 years old and lives in Oxford.Ìý She has too many favourite authors and books to name them individually!Ìý Her hobbies are music (she plays the cello and double bass), and dancing (ballet and jazz).Ìý Her ambition is to be an archaeologist when she is older. Holly Laverick, author of Pip, the Blacksmith’s Boy in the Best Show Ever, is 10 years old and lives in Bicester.Ìý Her favourite author is Jacqueline Wilson and her favourite book is Jacqueline’s novel, Suitcase Kids.Ìý In her spare time she loves dancing – freestyle and modern – and also plays hockey.Ìý When she’s older she’d like to be a teacher, or a writer! Katie McCay, author of An Unusual Friendship, is 11 years old and lives in Oxford.Ìý One of her favourite authors is Marita Conlon-Mckenna who wrote Under the Hawthorne Tree.Ìý She also likes reading books by Marilyn Taylor, particularly Far Away Â鶹ԼÅÄ.Ìý Katie’s hobbies are music (she plays the cello and piano), dancing and playing netball.Ìý When she’s older she’d like to be either a teacher or a TV presenter. Nicola Evans, author of The Minotaur, is 11 years old and lives in Newbury.Ìý She has many favourite authors.Ìý They include Jonathan Stroud who wrote The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Cornelia Funke and Christopher Paolini.Ìý She loves doing art and looking after her border collie dog called Tess.Ìý She’d like to turn her love of art into a career when she’s older. Zoe Abbott, author of Did it Really Happen?, is 12 years old and lives in Wantage.Ìý Her two favourite authors are Lucy Daniels and Jacqueline Wilson.Ìý Her favourite book is Heartland by Lauren Brooke.Ìý Zoe is mad on ponies and horses and goes riding as often as she can!Ìý She is hoping to become a vet, but knows she has got to work hard at school. |
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