This event has moved to our collection of Past Event Videos where you can access all past festival events for a small one-off fee of £5. Please click here to sign up or log in if you are already a member.
Age guideline 7-11, 13+
About the event
Helen Rutter and Benjamin Dean have created two of the year’s standout characters in Billy and Archie. Their funny but challenging adventures show us that with self-belief, understanding of others, and the support of people who love us - oh, and a bit of rule-breaking - we can all find the end of the rainbow.
Helen’s The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh is inspired by her son, Lenny, who has a stammer, while Benjamin’s Me, My Dad, And the End of the Rainbow is about a boy finding out who his dad truly is.
With discussions around inclusion, change and acceptance this event is bound to spark enlightening conversations!
Buy the Book here: The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh - Helen Rutter
Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow - Benjamin Dean
How to access the event
From 1 January 2022, this event will move to our collection of Past Event Videos where you can access all past festival events for a small one-off fee of £5. Go to the top of the page to view Past Event Videos. Please click here to sign up or log in if you are already a member.
Teacher Resources
This event and Helen and Benjamin’s books explore feelings and emotions, friendships and family relationships. Link this event to PSHE topics around these themes as well as those exploring self-acceptance and respecting others.
In this event the authors talk about understanding your own emotions through writing, and how writing their stories helped them to explore and accept things that had happened to them. Use this event to explore this idea - how being creative, expressing ourselves and telling our story can support our mental health.
Link this event and the question ‘What would be in your character’s manifesto for a better world?’ to exploring Manifestos and what they are, what language they use and the purpose they fulfil. Try creating your own or a class Manifesto for a Better World - we’d love to hear about them!
About the Authors
Helen Rutter: The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh is Helen's first novel. She lives just outside Sheffield and has worked as an actress for many years. The idea for this story came from her son, Lenny, who has a stammer: she wanted to write the book that he would love to read, starring a child like him. She hopes that children will be able to relate to feeling unheard, different from the rest and unable to find their voice.
Benjamin Dean is a London-based celebrity reporter for Buzzfeed. His biggest achievement to date is breaking the news that Rihanna can't wink (she blinks, in case you were wondering). Benjamin can be found on Twitter as @notagainben tweeting about Rihanna and LGBTQ+ culture to his 10,000+ followers. Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow is his debut book and he's currently working on its follow-up
Twitter: @helenrutteruk | @notagainben
Instagram: @helenrutteruk | @notagainben
Facebook: helenrutterwriter
About the festival partner
This event has been programmed by Bath Children’s Literature Festival
Bath Festivals is a charity that brings you the Bath Children’s Literature Festival, Europe’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival with a vibrant array of talks and activities for children. They are also responsible for The Bath Festival in the summer which bring the city alive with a celebration of music and books in the beautiful venues and spaces of the world heritage city. By creating innovative and diverse programmes, their festivals inspire and provide unique experiences for residents and visitors to Bath and surrounding areas. Their year-round creative learning programme of hands-on music and literature projects gives children and young people opportunities to gain real-world experience, building their inner confidence and improving communication skills through the arts.