In less than two weeks, children from across Huntingdonshire will be reading, writing, drawing and listening at the St Ives book festival for toddlers to teens.

The Book Jam, which takes place on Saturday, May 26, at the Corn Exchange in the town will feature workshops run by published authors and illustrators, storytelling, colouring, places to sit and share a book and lots more to keep young readers entertained.

Places on the workshops have to be pre-booked, but the Book Jam, sponsored by Movewithus and supported by The Hunts Post, will also feature a series of events which children and their parents and simply turn up to on the day.

And best of all – it’s all free.

The schedule of drop-in events has now been confirmed with each taking place in the Charter Hall at the Corn Exchange.

The events include readings, storytelling and singing, starting with a visit from pirates Captain Morgan and Mad Jack at 10.30am. Then it will be illustrator Steve Smallman (11am), Paula Burgess (11.30am), storyteller Andy Hawkins (noon), illustrator Marta Altes (12.30pm) and Bobby Heather (1pm).

Steve Smallman returns at 1.30pm then its fellow illustrators Algy Craig Hall (2pm) and Marion Lindsay (2.30pm), and members of St Ives Town Council will be getting involved in the story time sessions at 3pm. The pirates will be back at 3.30pm before the prize-giving for the Book Jam’s competitions – a writing competition and a fancy dress competition (go along dressed as your favourite book character to enter) – at 4pm.

INFORMATION: To find out more about workshops involving a series of children’s authors and illustrators, e-mail bumble.bookjam@btinternet.com or telephone 01480 467094.