A BESTSELLING author will be holding a storytelling workshop as part of the Bradford Literature Festival tomorrow.

Children aged four to five will listen to a reading of ‘The Fairytale Hairdresser and The Princess and The Frog’, led by children’s author Abie Longstaff.

She said: “Kids don’t get much time to see the fun side of reading. So much emphasis is on spelling and grammar.

“Some children are reluctant readers or writers.

“Learning how to write can be very helpful to children when they’re little.

“I do give talks on how life is like as a writer and illustrator, but the storytelling event is more to inspire them to want to read and see writing as something fun.”

Miss Longstaff began her career as a barrister, moving onto writing children’s books after her children were born.

Her book series, The Trapdoor Mysteries and The Fairytale Hairdresser are picture books.

There will be two more books in the Trapdoor Mysteries series next year. Miss Longstaff said she wrote the books because she wanted to feature an intelligent, inquisitive heroine.

She added: “The books are centred around science and I like the idea of encouraging girls, as well as boys, to solve puzzles and get involved.”

The event will take place in Waterstones, The Wool Exchange at 1.30pm on Sunday, July 8.

Author Colin Philpott will also talk about his latest book ‘Secret Wartime Britain’ in a separate event as part of the Bradford Literature Festival.

The book, due to be published in the Autumn, is based on his research into stories of the supposedly secret factories, command centres, spying bases, decoy airfields, battle rehearsal sites, research facilities, interrogation centres and other wartime locations including the aircraft factory which operated next to what is now Leeds Bradford Airport.

Mr Philpott said: “It’s difficult for us in the 21st century to imagine that people would have kept quiet about secret factories, radar stations, requisitioned country houses and other places given over to the war effort in 1940s Britain.

“However, it appears that the overwhelming majority of people did, and this played a significant part in achieving a successful outcome to the war.”

Mr Philpott, a programme maker and journalist for 25 years who was head of BBC Yorkshire from 1997 to 2004, will be talking about his fascinating findings in the Dye House Gallery Repository at Bradford College on Sunday, July 8 at 4.45pm as part of the Bradford Literature Festival.

As the Festival draws to a close this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday also include several other events, including a talk by World Heavyweight champion Frank Bruno today.

The British boxer will be giving an insight into his career, life and his struggles with mental illness.

For more information, visit www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk or call the box office on 01274 238 525.