COCKENZIE Primary School will welcome children’s authors and storytellers into its classrooms as it holds its first literary festival.

A range of events will be held during the day and in the evenings for both young and old between Monday, February 8, and Thursday, February 11.

Writers John Fardell, Angela Proctor, Emily Dodd and Tom Nicoll are all due to make appearances throughout the festival; and East Lothian storyteller and Courier columnist Tim Porteus will be hosting a story session.

Workshops have also been arranged with performance poet Ash Dickinson.

The school has been running a number of competitions in the run-up to the festival, including the challenge of designing an official logo and poster for the event.

Pupils from P4 to P7 classes have also been given the chance to enter a competition to have their writing published in the Courier’s popular Why I Love East Lothian column.

Parents have been encouraged to join in too, with the chance to contribute their tales to a new play by Three Craws writer Rita Bradd.

Janey Nicol, class teacher at Cockenzie Primary School, said: “This is all about developing the obvious love of words, which our children at Cockenzie so strongly display.

“We’re very excited to be planning our pilot literary festival.

"We want our children to experience literature for sheer enjoyment and revel in the possibilities of language and expression.”

Parents and carers have been invited to provide playwright Rita with historical stories and snippets they recall, which will help her develop a new play, based around Cockenzie Power Station and what it meant, and still means, to the community.

The play will then be performed by pupils. Full festival details are being finalised.