Young sci-fi writers asked to help create ‘epic’ Freedom Festival tale

REBOOTED: The Big Malarkey Festival is asking for ideas from young writers. Picture by Jerome Whittingham

Young sci-fi fantasy writers are being asked to contribute to an “epic tale” that will feature in this year’s Freedom Festival.

World Rebooted will be a collective piece of fantasy writing for children and young people.

Local writer Lee Harrison is working with The Big Malarkey Festival to collect ideas for the futuristic story. Ideas will be stitched together to create the tale, which he will then read online over Freedom Festival weekend.

The project is part of The Reset Lab, broadcast on September 5 and 6 as part of Freedom Festival’s ‘at home’ programme, which asks the question ‘if you could reset the world after lockdown, what would you change?’

Featuring scientists from the University of Hull, alongside children’s writers, poets and artists, as well as the team at Hull Libraries’ Makerspace, the programme will be presented by BBC Radio Humberside breakfast show host Kofi Smiles and local young people.

‘IMPORTANT GENRE’: Writer Lee Harrison

Lee said: “I think fantasy and sci-fi has a natural presence in the minds of children and young people.

“This is a valuable resource, and not just child's play, because fantasy and science fiction speculates on what we are and where we are going. There are few things in modern history, both for good and ill, that haven't been predicted or elaborated on in sci-fi fantasy. It's an important genre.

“Now, as the world is changing so dramatically, we have a great opportunity - particularly for young people - to look at ourselves, and to predict and envision the world we're heading for - and the world we'd like to aim for.

“World Rebooted invites them to do just this and we are looking to create an epic tale.”

Drawings, scribblings, photos, maps, character ideas, single words or full-on stories can be sent to hello@thebigmalarkeyfestival.com.