Showcase for writer who resonates with readers of all ages
Posted on 30 April 2010
The former children’s Laureate and author of Madame Doubtfire and Goggle-Eyes is the guest of honour at the event, which is open to seven to 11-year-olds and their parents , in the University’s Exhibition Centre on Saturday 8 May at 11am.In the afternoon, Anne Fine’s writing for adults will be showcased when she is in conversation with Professor Jane Moody, the Director of the Humanities Research Centre, in a discussion entitled Family Secrets and Black Comedies. Anne Fine will read from her novels and discuss her belief that the family is a crucible for both love and hate.
Anne Fine is a brilliant and witty storyteller
Professor Jane Moody
A winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Carnegie Medal, and the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year Award, Anne Fine was Children’s Laureate from May 2001 to May 2003. 20th Century Fox has filmed her hugely popular novel, Madame Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams.
She is also a distinguished writer of fiction for adults. Her eight novels include Taking the Devil’s Advice (1990), Telling Liddy (1998), Raking the Ashes (2005), and Our Precious Lulu (2009). Both Taking the Devil’s Advice and Telling Liddy have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and Fly in the Ointment is in development as a television film.
Professor Moody says: “Anne Fine is a brilliant and witty storyteller, whose novels explore fateful collisions between society and the family, the games people play in relationships and the darker side of human nature. This Writers @ York event is a wonderful opportunity to hear Anne talk about the breadth of her writing.”
Anne Fine says: "Like so many authors, I thoroughly enjoy meeting my readers, whether they're children or adults. Their perceptions about what I've written never fail to interest and impress me; and since so many people have at least one book inside them, written or not, we often share concerns. My stomping ground as a writer is, of course, the family - particularly when stressed. And, in my experience, almost everyone's an expert on that!"
Both talks by Anne Fine are part of the University of York’s Open Campus programme of activities and free tickets can be downloaded at http://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/public-lectures/tickets/. Light refreshments will be served from 3 pm to 3.45 pm.
To coincide with Anne’s visit and the Annual Alumni reunion weekend, the Humanities Research Centre will host an Open afternoon in the spectacular new Berrick Saul Building from 12pm onwards on Saturday 8 May. There will be guided tours of the building including a short introduction to the exciting research taking place in the humanities at York and the opportunity to chat to staff.
The Humanities Research Centre is the latest stage in the University’s major investments in the development and promotion of the humanities at York. The £11m Berrick Saul Building houses a range of innovative research centres featuring world-class expertise in Renaissance studies; Christianity and Culture; language and communication, the public understanding of the past; and modern culture.
Notes to editors:
- The Humanities Research Centre is based in the Berrick Saul building which was completed in 2009. The Centre is a hub for collaboration between scholars of different disciplines and it provides unrivalled facilities for postgraduate study. It includes a number of interdisciplinary research centres, including the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies, Centre for Modern Studies and the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past. The Institute for Effective Education is an international research centre focused on producing high-quality evidence-based assessments of educational practice and policy, and translating it into effective action to benefit all young people. It also includes a research facility, the Wolfson Suite, where academics from the Department of Psychology conduct research on developmental disorders of language, learning and cognition.
- More information on Anne Fine at www.annefine.co.uk.
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