Frank Cottrell Boyce
Frank Cottrell Boyce is a screenwriter and novelist whose contribution to British children’s fiction has been widely celebrated. His first book Millions received the Carnegie Medal, which annually recognises an outstanding new book for children.
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Frank Cottrell Boyce served as a judge for the 2014 round of Chris Evans’ Radio 2 short story competition for kids, ‘500 Words’. Here he reads the short story he wrote especially for the competition masterclass attended by young writers.
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Cottrell Boyce was cast away in 2010. He told Kirsty Young he not only tests his ideas on his kids, but they keep him focused: 'I need them in the house to make sure I'm not watching telly, the fact that they're there makes me work.'
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Cottrell Boyce joins John Wilson on Radio 4’s Front Row to discuss his curation of ‘The Return of Colmcille’, a public pageant on a city-wide scale, celebrating Derry-Londonderry’s position of UK City of Culture in June 2013.
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In Febuary 2012 Cottrell Boyce spoke to a number of the cast members of The Waltons (including those who played Pa Walton, John Boy, and Elizabeth), and interrogated what made this one of his favourite childhood TV programmes.
About the author
It is perhaps Frank Cottrell Boyce’s exuberance for writing for children that prompted the Fleming family to ask him to write a sequel to the children’s classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car.
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After a short deliberation with his family over whether this classic tale needed a sequel - it was a resounding ‘yes’ from his wife and seven children – Cottrell Boyce set to work on 2011’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again.
His seemingly endless talent for creativity is perhaps most famously portrayed through his contribution as writer of the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics. Working alongside Danny Boyle (who created a screenplay of his 2004 book Millions) and a close knit team of Boyle’s choosing, it was Cottrell Boyce’s job to join the well of creative ideas into one cohesive spectacular for everyone to enjoy.
Cottrell Boyce has appeared on the shortlist for some notable children’s fiction prizes with his subsequent works, including the Costa Children's Book Award and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize.
As one of the UK’s best loved children’s authors, it is perhaps unsurprising that Cottrell Boyce was asked in 2015 to be a part of the judging panel for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2’s 500 Words short story competition for 5-13 year olds.
As someone who has spoken openly about his concerns surrounding the way literacy is taught in schools, Cottrell Boyce has been a wonderful advocate for encouraging children to find pleasure in reading and writing away from the pressures of academia.
Sophie Lloyd-Catchpole, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Readings Unit
