BookTrust & Slightly Foxed Prize Draw Online Entry (12 July – 16 Sept 2024)
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Do you dream of getting away from it all and just curling up somewhere quiet with a good book? The Reading Party may be just what you’re looking for. The Reading Party is an opportunity for you to relax and read away from the pressures of everyday life.
I’m Christen, avid reader, former bookseller, collector of vintage Penguin books and owner of Middle Colenso Farm. Like C.S. Lewis, I love nothing more than sitting down for a few hours with a big cup of tea, a good book and no distractions but it’s rare that I manage it. There’s always something to do – an email to answer, a job to finish or a meal to cook. That’s why I created The Reading Party. It’s an opportunity to read away from the demands of home and work.
The idea goes back almost 30 years to when I was at university. It was a tradition for the history students at my college to attend a reading party in the Easter vacation before their final exams. We stayed in a beautiful old house in north Cornwall, attended seminars in the morning and evening and spent the rest of the day exploring the surrounding area. It’s lodged in my memory, partly because it was my first proper introduction to Cornwall but also because it was such terrific fun.
This Reading Party will be a far more relaxed affair. We will come together at meal times and there will be opportunities for group discussion but the rest of the time you’ll be free to read, explore or just relax in your surroundings. Each of the cottages has its own selection of books and you’ll also have access to the barn, once a semi-derelict outbuilding but now my own little library, complete with open fire and comfortable seating.
I will be present throughout the retreat to make sure you have everything you need and facilitate any book chats. Nothing will be compulsory but I will provide you with a reading list featuring some of my favourite books set in Cornwall. Feel free to bring any books you’d like to read or share with the rest of the group.
My friend Helen, who is a wonderful cook, will be in charge of the kitchen, rustling up delicious home-cooked breakfasts, lunches and dinners made from fresh, local ingredients. There will be a Cornish cream tea waiting for you in your cottage when you arrive. Snacks and hot and cold drinks will also be provided. Alcohol is BYO. Please note that we will be eating together in the dining room of The Old Granary.
I am a fully-qualified Pilates teacher and will be offering classes for those of you who are interested. There is plenty of parking on site but Middle Colenso Farm is six miles from Penzance if you prefer to arrive by train. We can collect you from the station by pre-arrangement.
To find out more about The Reading Party please visit: www.middlecolensofarm.co.uk
BookTrust is the UK’s largest reading charity and they reach millions of children every year with books, resources and support to get every child reading, regularly and by choice.
They are national in scale and operate in every region in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. They work through every local authority, via children’s centres, schools, libraries and health professionals, to reach the families who need them most.
From running the Children’s Laureate to giving out books to families and schools, running exciting reading campaigns or celebrating the very best children’s books with their prizes, everything they do at BookTrust aims to inspire children – from babies to teenagers – to get started on their reading journeys.
• Tickets are available from 12 July to 16 September 2024
• The Prize Draw will be held on 17 September 2024
• Tickets £5.*
• No limit on number of tickets an individual may purchase
• The Draw is limited to 4,500 tickets in total
• Worldwide entry but overseas friends should note that a number of the Prizes are UK-based trips, stays or tours
• The Draw is at random. Winners may pass a Prize to a friend or pass entirely if they are unable or unwilling to accept it
• Tickets are non-refundable
• All profits to BookTrust
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