Children's Book Special

Available for over a year

Open Book is devoted to the joys of children's literature Four Weddings and a Funeral screenwriter Richard Curtis explains why he has written his first children's book The Empty Stocking, and Jeff Kinney explains the key to the success of runaway bestseller Diary of a Wimpy Kid; a book he originally thought he had written for adults. In the studio Mariella is joined by two giants of the children's literary scene, Lauren Child and Charlie Higson, who between them have brought us Ruby Redfort, the young James Bond, Charlie and Lola and zombies, and by the esteemed children's book critic Amanda Craig. They'll be discussing how literature remains vivid in this new digital world, the difficulties of buying books for different age groups, how The Hobbit, seventy five this year, remains a favourite for all the family and why children loved to be scared by literature. Producer: Andrea Kidd.