Despite coronavirus restrictions, Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival is continuing its education outreach work this autumn by bringing inspirational authors virtually to young people at school and at home across Devon and the south west.

Each year the festival includes a programme of events especially for young people, with authors and illustrators who also visit schools, free of charge, to talk about their work and inspire children to read and enjoy books.

This year however, the festival will bring interviews with eight inspirational authors and illustrators to children virtually via the festival's website straight to their homes or classrooms, and will also offer fun book-related activities too.

From September 16, schools will be able to access the interviews via a special link sent to them by the festival organisers, and members of the public can register on the website to view the events.

This year's events for primary and secondary school students and will include the award-winning author and illustrator, Emily Gravett; Bristol-based football writer Matt Oldfield; Horrible Histories illustrator and creator of Lesser Spotted Animals, Martin Brown; historical fiction author, Emma Carroll; founder of 'Making Herstory' and Blue Peter Book Award-winning author Onjali Q. Rauf; Brooklyn-based poet, rapper and teacher, Devon Glover, known as 'The Sonnet Man'; winner of the Guardian's Children's Fiction Award, Alex Wheatle OBE; and winner of the Young Adult Prize 2020, Juno Dawson. The offering will also include quizzes and activities to challenge and inspire.

The schools and outreach programme is kindly supported by Budleigh Salterton Arts Society, The Norman Family Trust, Lord Clinton's Charitable Trust and the World of Country Life. As all events this year will be delivered free of charge, the festival is asking audiences to make a donation to support its educational outreach work.

David Marston of the Festival's education team, said: "Each year, Festival ticket sales support this inspiring work and allow us to provide books, author and illustrator visits, and teacher workshops to schools across East Devon. As this year's Festival is free to access, we'd be enormously grateful if audiences for festival events would consider making a donation so this important work can continue.

"As well as supporting the educational outreach work, donations will go towards the Society of Authors' Emergency Fund to support writers whose income has suffered because of the pandemic."

The virtual Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival will run from September 16 to 20. It is free to register to watch the events and more information can be found online at www.budlitfest.org.uk.