World-famous bookseller Foyles has today announced that Cressida Cowell, author and illustrator of the bestselling How to Train Your Dragon series, will be the first Foyles Literacy Ambassador, in association with the National Literacy Trust. The remit of the role will be to promote reading and writing and encourage a passion for literature in all its forms.
In her two-year tenure, Cowell will take part in a series of children’s events at Foyles branches in London, Birmingham, Bristol and Chelmsford. She will also deliver the inaugural Foyles and National Literacy Trust lecture in spring 2018.
Every Foyles shop will feature a branded ‘Cressida shelf’ containing her book recommendations to encourage reading among children, plus her own titles, as well as regular special window displays, Cressida Cowell merchandise and giveaways. Foyles will also sell an exclusive signed edition of her new book, The Wizards of Once, published by Hachette on 19 September.
Online, Cowell will produce a regular series of tips videos for parents which will be hosted on Foyles’ YouTube channel, while a dedicated page on the Foyles website will feature her book recommendations and other exclusive content.
She will judge a new creative writing competition with further details to be announced in due course.
I’m delighted to be partnering with Foyles and the National Literacy Trust for this two-year Ambassadorship. I’ve been lucky enough to celebrate the opening of several Foyles shops, and what they do brilliantly is make children’s books spaces look and feel exciting – they’re inviting places for kids to find their next adventure. I’m looking forward to working together on various exciting projects, such as a national writing competition, recommending my favourite books to kids and parents, and giving regular reading, writing and drawing tips. I want to inspire kids today to read with the same excitement and wonder that I did when I was a child. I’ve been an Ambassador for the National Literacy Trust for over a decade, and I’m especially thrilled to be collaborating with them so closely as well, and emphasising how valuable their work is
Cressida Cowell
We are absolutely thrilled to announce Cressida as the very first Foyles Literacy Ambassador, in association with the National Literacy Trust. Cressida is a fantastically talented author and illustrator who has enticed millions of children and young people, not to mention adults, in to the world of reading. Her talks and events are legendary for leaving children brimming with excitement and enthusiasm, not just for reading but also for picking up a pen and unleashing their own imaginations on to the page. Cressida is already a wonderful ambassador for children and literacy and will undoubtedly reach new heights in her role as Foyles Literacy Ambassador
Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust