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Lancaster LitFest offers Illustration Workshops with Petr Horácek and Nadine Kaadan this March

By John Freeman on January 21, 2020

The Lancaster LitFest – one of the longest-running literature festivals in the country – is offering two Illustration Workshops as part of a full-on Illustration Day during its 2020 Festival. Authors and illustrators Petr Horácek and Nadine Kaadan will head up separate events, both taking place on Saturday 14th March at Lancaster Library.

The day rounds off with a Picture Book Panel Discussion with both artists and author Dr Inés Gregori Labarta, Jake Hope and others.

Petr Horácek is an award-winning author and illustrator of many picture books from what is now the Czech Republic. His books include Silly Suzy Goose, A New House for Mouse, Elephant, Puffin Peter, The Greedy Goat and Blue Penguin and he will be reading, drawing and talking at his workshop and anybody who loves children’s books, good stories and wants to know how to make a picture book is welcome. You are never too old to enjoy a good picture book!

In Petr’s books a fly can talk, an elephant sits in the bath and a goat can eat your pants. He grew up on the outskirts of Prague, studying at the High School of Art in Prague, which specialised mainly in design, in the 1980s. From age 19, heworked in a state design studio for two years and studied painting at the Academy of Fine Art in Prague from 1988, graduating as a Master of Fine Art in 1994. While a student Petr met his English wife Claire and in 1995 they moved to England.

Petr started to write and illustrate books soon after his first child was born. His first, Strawberries are Red and What is Black and White? were published in 2001 and he received the Books For Children Newcomer Award in the same year. Since then, he’s written and illustrated many books for children. He is mainly published by Walker Books in the UK and his books are translated into many languages, and he has won awards for his work in Britain, the United States and Holland.

Award-winning Syrian author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan, who now lives in London, will then lead an interactive storytelling and art workshop who will read from her books The Jasmine Sneeze and Tomorrow. Her workshop offers the opportunity to learn all about the rich culture and proud history of Damascus and the courage of the Syrian children. Then create and send your own images and messages of hope on postcards to be sent to children living in refugee camps in Lebanon.

The 2019 winner of the Arab British Centre Award for Culture, Nadine has published many books in many countries and her mission is to encourage a reading culture in the Arab world. Her work with young refugees has captured the attention of CNN and the BBC, both of which broadcast special features on her books.

The Illustration Day rounds off with a Picture Book Panel Discussion with Nadine and Petr, along with Dr Inés Gregori Labarta, Jake Hope and others. How can illustration and other art forms help us and the next generation explore and understand stories of migration?

Join both renowned picture book creators for what promises to be a fascinating discussion about the power and purpose of visual language in an unsettled world, an event that will take place within an exhibition of illustrations from the picture book Migrations (Otter-Barry Books, 2019) and images from In Pursuit of Peace and Hope, a photography project with young refugees in Uganda, South Africa and Turkey.

Packed with insight into the creative process and this wonderful creative area of the publishing industry, a LitFest event to be missed.

• More details about Petr’s workshop here on the LitFest web site

• More details about Nadine’s workshop here on the LitFest web site

• More details about the Picture Book Panel Discussion with Nadine and Petr here on the LitFest web site

• Tickets for these workshops will be on sale soon – check the LitFest web site for updates here

• Petr Horácek is online at www.petrhoracek.com | Follow him on Twitter @PHoracek

• Nadine Kadaan is online at www.nadinekaadan.com

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.