AUTHOR and illustrator Lauren Child was one of the biggest names to appear at Ilkley Literature Festival and the interest in her work was so keen that she spent another two hours meeting fans and signing books.

The award-winning writer appeared on Saturday as part of this year's Children's Festival and she took part in a questions and answers session with interviewer Nick Tucker at Kings Hall, with a packed house.

Following that she spent two more hours signing books, meeting fans and answering more questions on her Ruby Redfort series of books, for the pre-teens audience and the adaptation of her characters Charlie and Lola for televsion among the subjects discussed.

Friends Erica East, aged nine, and Hattie Hogan, eight, both from Ilkley, took some tips away from the session with Lauren.

Erica said: “We both want to be writers and have already started our own books so it was inspiring to meet Lauren.”

The author also found time to answer questions ofromJulia Coyle, 10, a Year 6 pupil at the Grammar School at Leeds, who was conducting an interview for local magazine Families Leeds.

Julia said: “It was exciting to meet Lauren after hearing her speak as I could ask the questions she didn’t cover in her session.

"I found out that her characters aren’t specifically based on herself but each one has little bits of her or her friends, also she thinks festivals like this are important because you get to find out about new authors and their books.”

The Children’s Festival continues this weekend with activities for children of all ages, including author sessions with Yasmeen Ismail, Angie Sage, Caryl Hart and Kjartan Poskitt.

Children can join in circus skills with Suitcase Circus, drama with Mud Pie Arts, storytelling with Ilkley Library staff and a blast from the past with children’s museum Eureka!

The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) sponsors the Children’s Festival and is inviting children under the age of 16 to enter a Design a Bookmark competition. The best entry in each of three age groups will win a Kindle – visit www.gsal.org.uk/news-events to find out how to enter.