Milton Keynes Primary Schools Lit Fest
Tuesday 17 November 2026
For Reception - Year 6
Free to attend
Signed books available to pre-order
Hosted by Thornton College, with MK Lit Fest and Waterstones.
All Milton Keynes primary schools are invited to take part.
To book places, please contact:
9.15 am: Reception-Year 1
Beatrice Simpkiss – Ziggy the Caterpillar’s Zigzag Adventure!
Get ready to move, wiggle and imagine as Ziggy the Caterpillar’s Zigzag Adventure comes to life in this vibrant, interactive event! Children will join Ziggy, the little caterpillar with a big personality, on her zigzagging journey of friendship and self‑discovery. Through lively read‑alouds, wiggle breaks and a creative mindfulness activity with creator Beatrice Simpkiss, young readers are encouraged to celebrate their quirks, explore emotions and discover the beauty of being wonderfully themselves. This joyful session invites every child to embrace their own special way of moving through the world - just like Ziggy.
Beatrice Simpkiss is an illustrator based in Hackney, London. She graduated from Arts University Bournemouth with a first-class degree in illustration and was awarded ‘One of the Illustration Graduates to Watch’ in the D&AD New Blood Festival in 2020.
Beatrice is inspired by creating bold, colourful and energetic illustrations which are full of texture and fun characters.
9.15 am: Years 2-4
The Brothers McLeod: The Adventures of Knight St Louis
Join The Brothers McLeod for this not-to-be-missed event featuring the fantastic Knight Sir Louis!
You’ll create your own knight character before helping The Brothers to write a comedy adventure in six comic panels in this interactive event packed with drawing, comics, reading aloud in silly voices, and lots and lots of laughs.
The Brothers McLeod are author, screenwriter and voice actor Myles McLeod, and illustrator, animator and director Greg McLeod – creators of the hilarious Knight Sir Louis series of books. Together, they have worked for clients such as Disney, Aardman, the BBC, ITV, Dreamworks, and the RSC. Their series, Circle Square, is out with Milkshake! on Channel 5.
10.45 am: Years 5-6
Dhonielle Clayton: The Conjureverse
Step into a world of magic with Dhonielle Clayton as she guides you through her spectacular magic school in the sky, the Arcanum Training Institute, and introduces you to the thrilling final instalment in the Conjureverse series, The Paragon Games.
As Ella and Jason return to the institute for Year Four, with the world in turmoil, they are selected to participate in the year-long Paragon Games. The prize for the winner: a wish granted. Tugged in a dozen directions, Ella must compete in the games, locate the stolen twilight stars, and help build a bridge between two communities on the precipice of war.
Packed with adventure, mystery and unforgettable magic, this is an unmissable session for fantasy fans!
Dhonielle Clayton loves magic. She loves it more than anything . . . even pizza or warm chocolate chip cookies. So she reads millions of books to find some in the real world, because magic makes everything much more interesting. She grew up in the Washington, DC, suburbs on the Maryland side and is a former secondary teacher and librarian.
She is a New York Times bestselling author, the COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books, and the owner of Cake Creative Kitchen. The Marvellers was shortlisted for the Week Junior Awards for the best children’s book of the year older fiction award 2023.
