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Ulladulla’s Harbour Bookstore will run a series of children’s program with a $1,000 grant from best-selling author James Patterson.
Passionate about encouraging children to read, Patterson donated $100,000 to book shops across Australia and New Zealand this week.
Michelle Evans from the Harbour Bookstore said the grant would help bring visiting children’s authors to the region.
“We hoping to bring some authors here next year,” she said.
“We were thrilled that our application was successful and that John Patterson recognised that we are working hard in the community to encourage children to pick up a book.”
Michelle said author visits to local schools had been successful in the past, including a visit last year by Di Morrissey who spoke about her first children’s book that was illustrated by Milton artist Julie Sydenham.
“Kids were coming into the shop telling us they had met Di and had been inspired to read her book and to try writing for themselves,” Michelle said.
She told the Times the children and teens book section was the largest in their Rowen’s Arcade store and that local children loved to read.
“Even teenagers love to have a book that they can own and have on their bookshelf.
“It’s not all about electronic devices.”
The Harbour Bookstore is gearing up for the Escape ArtFest when it will host a series of writing competitions and literary events for both children and adults.
After the busy ArtFest period, they will start planning how to spend their grant money to help local bookworms.
James Patterson visited Australia from the United States in May and, after after a lengthy judging process, announced 70 grant recipients who he said would now be able to act upon their creative proposals to get kids reading.
“I have been delighted by how many people have applied for the grants and the calibre of the applications,” he said.
“We have worked to identify bookshops for whom this money may make a real difference and for whom getting children to read is a real passion.”