Award-winning comedian, actor and writer, Matt Lucas, delighted children from 33 schools across our 14 local areas with a fun-filled virtual visit as part of our Connecting Stories initiative. Matt, author of the ‘Baked Potato’ children’s books and ‘My Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Silly Book of Jokes’, read an extract from his upcoming book, ‘My Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Silly Book of Pranks’ (HarperCollins UK) and answered children’s questions on jokes, pranks, being an author, and the writing and publishing process.
John, from Blackpool, wanted to know where Matt gets all his "dad jokes" from. Matt revealed that he's a big fan of 'dad jokes' and said: "They're the sort of joke that you groan at a little bit because they're so silly! My dad used to tell me really funny jokes. Dad jokes come from everyone's dad you meet that tells you an awful joke!"
The children were also particularly interested in getting Matt’s advice on writing: “Part of being creative is actually getting it wrong. Sometimes you have to wrong before you get it right. You don’t always get it right the first time. Don’t be afraid to write something that doesn’t 100% work.”
Matt advised children to turn to their teachers, friends, and family whenever they get stuck, telling them “it’s much better to do that, than not write anything at all.”
Connecting Stories is a campaign to support children’s literacy across our 14 local areas. Funded by Arts Council England, and supported by 18 publishers and over 30 children’s authors, it aims to increase children and young people’s access to literary experiences and books. The initiative has a calendar full of exciting and engaging events, including a competition for children in 14 local areas, each with their own theme. The winners will be published in an anthology. To find out more information, visit the Connecting Stories homepage.
Matt Lucas says:
“I'm thrilled to support the National Literacy Trust's Connecting Stories initiative! It's particularly important to support the wellbeing of children and young people during this time and to nurture creativity, imagination and communication. Books provide a gate-way to other worlds, lives and adventures and I look forward to sharing this magic with many children.”
Find out more about Connecting Stories!