The White Ravens Festival, Germany, 2023

The authors and translators with the White Ravens Festival team.

The White Ravens represents a selection of international children's and youth literature made by the Internationale Jugendbibliothek in Munich, Germany. Every autumn, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, they publish an annual catalogue of The White Raven books from the International Youth Library. All compiled titles are introduced at the book fair in Bologna the following year. You can learn more about it HERE.

Every two years the library holds a festival of literary events for families and young people, bringing authors and illustrators from all over the world to Castle Blutenburg, the home of the library, and then taking them out on tour to meet readers all over Bavaria.

In 2017, Beetle Boy was selected as a White Raven title. I was invited to be a part of the festival this year. In July, I spent a week meeting readers in Munich, at the castle and in schools, and then throughout Bavaria. I introduced them to The Twitchers with the help of my wonderful translator, Claudia Soeffner and the gifted German actor Thomas Birnstiel, who performed the readings. It was a wonderful experience. I feel so lucky to be a White Raven, to be a part of this great festival, and to be published in Germany.