Catherine Johnson performance

Our penultimate event at the Bristol Old Vic with bestselling author, Catherine Johnson was a roaring success! Children loved listening to Catherine talk about her historical research, in particular tales of Matthew Henson, who was one of the first men to reach the North Pole, but has been forgotten about because of the colour of his skin. The audience of local year 5 and 6 primary children were enthralled as Catherine told them the gory reality of frostbite and the details of survival in the artic. We also heard all about the fascinating life of Olaudah Equiano and his life in slavery and his hard won fight for freedom.

The children asked amazing questions, and Catherine gave them all sort of tips on writing. It was a real treat to be on stage at this historic theatre, and absolutely wonderful to see the audience so engaged. They were thrilled to receive their own copy of Catherine's book Race to the Frozen North to take home and keep.