Yesterday (4 July), highly acclaimed author, comedian and screenwriter David Baddiel came to Portsmouth for the annual Year 6 Big City Read event, promoting his bestselling children’s book, The Parent Agency 10th Anniversary edition, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
David spoke to an invited audience of excited young readers on Thursday 4 July at the University of Portsmouth’s Park Building, offering them an unforgettable experience with one of the UK’s most beloved children’s authors. The event was also live streamed to all Year 6 pupils in the city, direct to their classrooms. This was made possible by the generous support of staff and students from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Film, Media, and Communication. The initiative is supported by Portsmouth Public Libraries and the School Improvement Service.
David Baddiel’s visit to Portsmouth provided a unique opportunity for Year 6 pupils to engage with the author, delve deeper into the themes of the book, and further ignite their passion for reading. During the event, David read excerpts from the book, shared insights into his writing process, and participated in a Q&A session with the live audience as well as questions sent in from schools across the city.
2024 marks the 10th anniversary of David’s epic wish-fulfilment debut adventure, The Parent Agency. This humorous and heart-warming story about a young boy named Barry who gets to choose his perfect parents, has captivated the imaginations of children across the nation with sales over 355,000 copies worldwide. The new edition including bonus chapters featuring two never seen before songs from The Parent Agency musical stage adaptation.
David Baddiel expressed his enthusiasm for the event, saying:
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Year 6 Big City Read in Portsmouth. Meeting young readers and seeing their enthusiasm for books is incredibly rewarding. I hope that through The Parent Agency and all my books, children will find joy in reading and discover the endless possibilities that stories can offer.”
The Year 6 Big City Read initiative, which engages over 2,800 students across 39 primary schools, is designed to promote literacy and foster a love of reading among junior school children as part of their transition work as they move up to secondary school. By bringing authors like David Baddiel to the city, the programme aims to create memorable literary experiences that leave a lasting impact on young readers and ensure that every Year 6 pupil has a book gifted to them at the end of their Key Stage 2 educational journey.
Cllr Suzy Horton, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, said:
“We were delighted to welcome David Baddiel to Portsmouth. His visit will have undoubtedly inspired our Year 6 pupils and staff and highlighted the importance of reading for pleasure. Events like these, alongside many other reader development events hosted annually by our School Library Service and public library service, are crucial in developing a lifelong love of books.”
David’s books have celebrated exceptional success in the UK and international markets with global English language sales now reaching over 2.5 million copies translated into 30 languages. His children’s books have received critical acclaim and won some of children’s books’ highest accolades.
Beyond writing books for children, David has written four critically acclaimed adult novels (The Death of Eli Gold, Time For Bed, Whatever Love Means and The Secret Purposes), as well as writing the hit comedy film The Infidel. Most recently, he published The God Desire and also the Sunday Times bestselling non-fiction polemic Jews Don’t Count which was adapted for a documentary under the same title for Channel 4.