| Seven Stories | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2005 |
| Location | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Collection size | Children's literature and illustration from 1930's to the present day |
| Director | Kate Edwards |
| Website | [1] |
Seven Stories the national centre for children's Books in the United Kingdom is based in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle upon Tyne, close to the city's newly regenerated quayside. The centre takes its name from the theory that there are only seven basic plots in literature, and the fact that the renovated Victorian mill in which it is housed has seven levels.
Seven Stories is the first museum in the UK wholly dedicated to the art of British children’s books.[1]
It has a changing programme of ground breaking exhibitions aimed at both children and adults. Recognised as a national home for children’s literature,[2] Seven Stories brings together original manuscripts and illustrations from some of the nation's best loved children’s books, to excite visitors in an exploration of creativity, literature and art.
Substantial original artwork and manuscripts has been donated to the centre and the collection continues to grow. Jacqueline Wilson, Terry Jones, Philip Pullman and Quentin Blake are among some of the centre's most distinguished patrons.
Seven Stories curates its own exhibitions, many of which go on to tour nationally including Judith Kerr, Anthony Browne and Jacqueline Wilson. They also provide a range of workshops, visits and resources for schools and education professionals from pre-school to post graduates including the University of Newcastle upon Tyne with which it jointly hosts a number of PhD studentships funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Many children's authors and illustrators visit the centre to run workshops and give talks, including David Almond, Catherine Rayner, Michael Foreman, Terry Deary, Judith Kerr, Julia Donaldson and Oliver Jeffers.
Activities include dressing-up and dramatic fun, creative writing and wordplay, illustration and craft. The museum includes one of the largest independent, specialist children’s bookshops in Britain, with over 50,000 titles.
Seven Stories opened in August 2005 and is the operating name of The Centre for Children's Books, a registered charity.[3]
Seven Stories celebrated their fifth birthday in August 2010 with an exclusive golden ticket event with popular children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson.[4]
In September 2010, Seven Stories purchased several original typescripts by Enid Blyton, making Seven Stories the largest public collector of Blyton material. The purchase was made possible by special funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, and two private donations.[5]
It was announced on 23 November 2010 that Seven Stories had been awarded the prestigious Eleanor Farjeon Award, which is widely considered the highest accolade for services to children’s literature.[6]