I’m off to the Fabelhaft Festival in Austria next week. I’m performing for four nights, in a different fairytale castle each night. How wonderful is that? www.fabelhaft.at
Author: Cat
Another foreign festival!
I have just been invited to perform at a storytelling festival in Naarden in Holland. I’ve done a show there before. It’s one of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever seen – and it has a fabulous toy shop. When I last visited I bought a wonderful bear’s head – like a hunting trophy – and that led to the creation of my infant show BEAR TALES.
Diary of Events
These are Cat’s PUBLIC events. Private and schools events are not currently listed.
March
Saturday 5 ALREWAS Meet Me at Machu Picchu Alrewas Village Hall 8.00pm Tickets from Lorna Lewis 01283 790799 www.liveandlocal.org.uk
Friday 11 COVENTRY The Mee Club: Special Launch event The Herbert Art Gallery 8pm. Free. Cat’s new true life storytelling club opens with a showcase event from the Mee Club’s resident troupe FLASHLIGHT www.themeeclub.com
April
Wednesday 6 BIRMINGHAM Flirt Off! The Old Joint Stock Theatre 8pm. Cat hosts an open mic evening of true life tales about dating and relationships. The good, the bad and the frankly bizarre! https://www.facebook.com/events/1655866014652079/
Thursday 14 BRIXHAM The Golden Oak Brixham Theatre 7.30pm £10 in advance / £12 on the door http://www.brixhamtheatre.org.uk/events/2016/apr-14/cat-weatherill-presents-the-golden-oak
Friday 15 COVENTRY The Mee Club: ‘Dancing Shoes’ The Herbert Art Gallery 8pm. Free. Cat’s new true life storytelling club opens the stage to members of the public, with open mic and pre-pitched seven minute long true life tales on the theme of ‘Dancing Shoes’ www.themeeclub.com
Friday 29 HEBDEN BRIDGE Shaggy Dog Storytelling Club The Golden Oak 7.30pm
Barkbelly
One shiny egg falls down, down, down through the midnight sky. A wooden egg, no larger than a goose egg, but much heavier. And inside the egg is Barkbelly…
Barkbelly is an outsider – a wooden boy – and when a terrible accident happens, everyone in the village blames him. Suddenly Barkbelly is on the run for his life.
Through the mountains and on he runs. A dark and dangerous journey to the other side of the world and back again. Barkbelly sleeps under the stars, rides on a circus wagon and sails on the deck of a pirate ship. He runs faster than he has ever run in his life. And along the way, he learns the truth about where he
comes from.
Once he knows where that place is, he has to go there. But will it be where he belongs?
BARKBELLY is a magical, fast-moving adventure story, packed with amazing machines, giant hedgehogs, salty pirates, a circus and a jam factory!
Reviews of Barkbelly
A startling fresh voice in children’s books. Cat Weatherill is one of our great storytellers, vivacious and inventive. She brings all her consummate skill to the creation of her first magical book – Michael Morpurgo
The real star of this month’s fantasies is Cat Weatherill’s BARKBELLY. What makes the book special is not just the quality of the author’s imagination but her richly poetic style – Amanda Craig, The Times
Cat’s curious fable of a wooden boy cries to be read aloud – Helen Brown, The Daily Telegraph
Cat Weatherill’s BARKBELLY falls squarely in the glorious category… As in all the best stories, what he learns on the way about love, friendship and courage becomes the real point of the tale – Christina Hardyment, The Independent
I think it’s just wonderful. Cat has brought her vivid storyteller’s gifts straight on to the page — her Barkbelly is a lively, affecting wooden hero, as much a real boy as Pinocchio ever was. This is a magical and moving debut –
Erica Wagner, Literary Editor, The Times
This is magical and wonderfully exciting storytelling, which lifts effortlessly aloud off the page, fuelled by the musical rhythms of the language and the tidal rhythms of traditional stories – Books For Keeps
- Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award for best debut novel
- Shortlisted for the Calderdale Children’s Book of the Year
- Published in America by Knopf Books
- Reading age 8+
Buy BARKBELLY now from Amazon:
Librarian & Play Staff Training
Cat’s training sessions are enormous fun! They are hands-on, lively affairs packed with ideas and practical advice. Cat usually concentrates on storytelling with younger children since this is what librarians and play staff do most. She shows participants how to –
- Gain and hold attention
- Add colour to a storytelling session with the use of puppets, toys, props and musical instruments
- Remember and tell stories rather than reading from a book
- Keep discipline with young children – and their accompanying adults!
- Spontaneously tell stories
She can also consider practical things, like organising a story session, setting out the room, meeting and greeting etc. The sessions always include action rhymes and infant dance (trousers are recommended) and an opportunity for Q & A.
Words for the songs and rhymes are provided free of charge.
Half day & full day sessions available. Maximum 20 participants.
Flying Start staff training workshop evaluation comments
‘Cat is an excellent trainer; very enthusiastic’
‘The training was absolutely fantastic; full of ideas, stimulation and ideas were extremely relevant for my work’
‘Plenty of good ideas to aid a successful storytelling session’
Great Year So Far
What an amazing year I’m having… The Hay Festival have invited me to take part in Storymoja 2010 in Kenya – and now the British Council have invited me to perform at the Moscow Book Fair in June!
Ghost
Beyond the cosy fireside and the flickering tv screen there’s another world. It’s dark, shadowy and guarded by ghosts. And that’s where you’re going tonight.
Ghost is a collection of dark and brooding tales swept up from the hearthsides of world folk tradition. They may be old, but time hasn’t diminished their mysterious power. On the contrary. These tales still have teeth, and they’ll follow you home…