It was a dark and stormy night | StorySpark at The Ark

After a whole month of events and fun and games, some of the people behind the Children's Books Festival are back with more fantastic offerings to lighten up the our cold and dreary week-ends this winter. Children's Books Ireland, The Ark and Poetry Ireland are bringing us StorySpark, a celebration of the magic of story.

"Each weekend from 27th November, The Ark will become a hive of story-centred activity for families to explore. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, the creative facilities of The Story Lab, a facilitated interactive space, will be open to those wishing to write and record their own stories, or to enjoy those left by others. Later in the afternoon, The Reading Room will play host to some of the most talented children's authors writing today, with a series of exclusive readings at 2pm and 4pm.

Top-class writers and story-tellers include: Derek Landy, Anthony McGowan, Roddy Doyle, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Mary Arrigan, Aubrey Flegg, Ali Sparkes, Tony Mitton, Enda Wyley, Larry O'Loughlin, Marcus Sedgwick, Guy Bass, John Boyne, Ian Beck, Philip Ardagh, Oisín McGann, Joe O'Brien, Niamh Sharkey, Sarah Webb, Brianóg Brady Dawson and Gillian Perdue.

Check out The Ark's website for all the minutiae from dates to times to genre and age-group and the rest. Meanwhile, I'm going to find a 7-year-old to take me to see Philip Ardagh and His Beard.