It’s the 25th anniversary of Winnie the Witch and she’s still raring to go — throwing parties, saving the planet, and putting some Olympic fun into the school sports day.
The series started when Oxford artist Korky Paul was commissioned by children’s book editor Ron Heapy, of Oxford University Press, to illustrate a story by Valerie Thomas, about a witch who lived in a black house and suggested that Korky could attempt two or three drawings.
The first Winnie book won the Children’s Book Award in 1987 and has since been published in more than 10 languages.
The artist, who lives in Oxford, will be hosting an energy-filled event of quick sketching, story-book adventure and plenty of audience participation for children aged five-plus at the Oxford Literary Festival on Saturday.
The Olympics tale is included in a new collection of four stories for young readers, Winnie Goes for Gold, by Korky Paul and Laura Owen, published by OUP at £4.99.
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