A festival that aims to inspire young people with the wonder of words is back for a fifth year.

Eastern Daily Press: FLY Festival is returning for a fifth year in July 2017. Image: created by Farrows and supplied by FLY Festival.FLY Festival is returning for a fifth year in July 2017. Image: created by Farrows and supplied by FLY Festival. (Image: supplied by FLY Festival)

The University of East Anglia's Festival of Literature for Young People (FLY Festival) will this year take place from July 10 to 14, and has just revealed its packed programme of events.

Among the writers taking part include Frank Cottrell Boyce, Martyn Bedford, Clare Furniss, Jo Cotterill and Andy Briggs.

Charlie Higson, honorary patron of the festival, said: 'Five years ago I wrote about how excited I was to be involved in a new festival at my old university and I can't believe how well it's grown since then.'

This year's festival kicks off with a FLY in the City day on Monday, July 10, which will see poet and boxer Matt Windle and poet and performer Molly Naylor lead workshops at The Garage. Meanwhile on the same day Stage Two, at Norwich Theatre Royal, will host a day-long theatre workshop and also performances of six plays written by local high schools.

Eastern Daily Press: Poet and professional boxer Matt Windle is among those taking part in the FLY Festival in July 2017. Photo: supplied by FLY Festival.Poet and professional boxer Matt Windle is among those taking part in the FLY Festival in July 2017. Photo: supplied by FLY Festival. (Image: supplied by FLY Festival)

The highlights on Tuesday, July 11 include writer Frank Cottrell Boyce giving the Mal Peet Memorial Talk. Mr Cottrell Boyce has written the screenplays for Hilary and Jackie, 24-Hour Party People, A Cock and Bull Story and Millions, which led to his award-winning novel. His other novels include Framed, The Unforgotten Coat, and a sequel to the Ian Fleming children's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Also on the Tuesday, Flip and Twenty Questions for Gloria author Martyn Bedford will be talking about his work and performer Debs Newbold will be presenting a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear.

Authors taking to the stage on Wednesday, July 12 include Clare Furniss, whose novel How Not to Disappear has been longlisted for the 2017 Carnegie Medal, rap artist Breis, and Keeper of the Realms author Marcus Alexander.

On Thursday, July 13, writers featured are: Jo Cotterill (Electrigirl and A Library of Lemons); Cliff McNish (The Doomspell and The Silver Sequence); and Andy Briggs (Kong: King of Skull Island, Ritual and Dinocorps).

Eastern Daily Press: Author Frank Cottrell Boyce is among those taking part in the FLY Festival in July 2017. Photo: supplied by FLY Festival.Author Frank Cottrell Boyce is among those taking part in the FLY Festival in July 2017. Photo: supplied by FLY Festival. (Image: supplied by FLY Festival)

The final day of the festival, Friday, July 14, is a special day-long event aimed at sixth form pupils.

There will also be an array of workshops to take part in throughout the week and the festival is running its annual writing competition.

For more information about the festival, visit www.uea.ac.uk/fly

Eastern Daily Press: Pupils at the City Academy help with the launch of the programme for the FLY Festival of Literature for Young People. With the pupils are, Hannah Tough, back left, festival director; Mary Sparrow, back 2nd left, principal; Hannah Boag, back 3rd left, leader of english; Alexander Gordon Smith, back centre, patron; Viviane Palmer, back 2nd right, librarian; and Antoinette Moses, back right, producer. PICTURE: Denise BradleyPupils at the City Academy help with the launch of the programme for the FLY Festival of Literature for Young People. With the pupils are, Hannah Tough, back left, festival director; Mary Sparrow, back 2nd left, principal; Hannah Boag, back 3rd left, leader of english; Alexander Gordon Smith, back centre, patron; Viviane Palmer, back 2nd right, librarian; and Antoinette Moses, back right, producer. PICTURE: Denise Bradley (Image: Archant, Norfolk 2017)

SCHOOL PUPILS WILL PEN NEW PLAYS FOR THE FESTIVAL

City Academy Norwich pupils are among those set to take part a new theatre project at this year's FLY Festival.

Six schools have been chosen to be involved in the playwrighting project which will see UEA MA playwrights work with students from the different schools to write 15-minute plays. The six plays will then be produced and performed by UEA actors on Monday, July 10 as part of the festival programme.

The playwrighting project was the idea of FLY Festival producer Antoinette Moses.

She said: 'This is a fantastic opportunity for students to create work and then have a chance to see it produced on stage. We've hoped to run it for a while, but now thanks to donations from UEA alumni, we can make it happen.'

The schools taking part include: City Academy Norwich, Sewell Park Academy, Cliff Park Ormiston Academy, Long Stratton High School, Hewett Academy and King's Lynn Academy.