LarkLitFest

Just what is the point of having a stepson if he can't even let you know about a literary festival happening at his own school under his very nose?

"Did you know about the Larkmead Literary Festival?"

"The what?"

"It'll be launching an anthology of short stories written by Larkmead students, put together by your writer-in-residence."

"We have a writer-in-residence?"

And so forth.

And it does sound to have been a Jolly Good Idea: respect to all involved. Mostly Books has a report, as does the Abingdon Herald, so that's all points covered, though there may be the slightest sliver of bias in the Herald's reporting. As well as P. Pullman coming along to help launch the anthology, it reports:

"The visitors included authors M.G. Harris and Julie Hearn, illustrator David Melling, Paul Mayhew Archer, television scriptwriter for The Vicar of Dibley, and Mark Edwards, sports editor of the Herald's sister newspaper, the Oxford Mail."

If Pullman and the Oxford Mail's sports editor represent two ends of a spectrum, I know which end I'm closer to, which gives me all sorts of hope.

My only criticism of reports I've read is that apparently proceedings went on until 8.30pm, which surely is far too late for Year 13s to be up.