Children aged eight to 11, from up and down the Wharfe Valley, are invited to join two special new groups for keen young readers and writers being set up in Ilkley by Ilkley Literature Festival.

From February 1, children can join two new Saturday morning activities, led by popular workshop leader, Sandra Flitcroft.

Story Explorers will give children a chance to join an innovative children’s book group, with lots of exciting ways to explore a story, while Story Wizards is the opportunity to create their own stories and poems.

Sessions, which cost £1 each week for each activity, will run from 10am to 12.30pm every Saturday in term time, from Saturday, February 1, and take place in the back activities room at the Clarke Foley Centre on Cunliffe Road, LS29 9DZ. Children aged eight and nine are invited to attend from 10am to 10.30am for Story Explorers, a lively, interactive book group especially for children and from 10.40am to 11.10am for Story Wizards, fun ways to write your own stories and poems.

Children aged ten and 11 are invited at 11.25am to 11.55am for Story Explorers and noon to 12.30pm for Story Wizards.

Festival director Rachel Feldberg said: “We’ve been longing to start our children’s book and writing groups for some time. Over the last four years our writing group for 12 to 17-year-olds has been very successful and we’ve had parents asking if we could offer something for younger children.

“With this new group, we are using a model pioneered by The Grove Bookshop’s owner, Kevin Ramage, up in Scotland and it’s really inspiring to be starting something like this in the Festival’s home town.”

Anyone wanting to book a place for their child should call the Festival office on (01943) 601210 or turn up at the appropriate time for their child’s’ age range on Saturday, February 1.