THOUSANDS of primary school children had creative writing tips from top authors, poets, and illustrators, at a literary festival held at Oxford museums.

Bookfeast saw 2,500 children from Oxfordshire primary schools take part from Monday, March 14, to Thursday, March 17.

The story workshops were set within Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Pitt Rivers Museum, and the new Story Museum in Pembroke Street.

Children had workshops with the writers and then went out in to the museums to find inspiration for their own stories.

Janet Stott, education officer at the natural history museum, said: “It was the first time we have had the festival at the museum and we thought it was really exciting.

“We were really impressed by how inspired the children were by the authors and that was clear in the ideas they came up with in the museum afterwards.

“I think children meeting authors that they are used to reading is really inspiring. And museums are special places to learn. They are different to the classroom environment.”

On Thursday, March 17, pupils had a workshop with comic book writers ‘The Etherington Brothers’.

Robin Etherington said: “Bookfeast provided monstrous fun for Oxford’s primary school children, celebrating books at the Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museums.”