The Othernauts with Clare Pollard

Join Clare Pollard as she introduces children to the legendary heroes and creatures that inspired her brand‑new

adventure series, The Othernauts - from Hercules and Orpheus to sirens, harpies, and centaurs. Together, you’ll unravel exciting story elements, discover how quests and McGuffins work (including the all‑important Golden Fleece!), and dream up your own epic mythic plot.

Expect big ideas, big laughs, and some fun “would you rather?” games along the way!

Recommended age 7+

Tickets for this event are charged on a pay as you feel basis, starting at £4 per child and on a completely pay as you feel basis for adults, but please note that each person attending will need a ticket. All money from ticket sales supports the running, continuation and expansion of Canterbury Children's Literature Festival and our year round outreach work within the local community.

About the Author

Clare Pollard has always been a bookworm, and wrote her first poetry collection whilst still at school. Her sixth collection is Lives of the Female Poets, and a poem from it, ‘Pollen’, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Individual Poem. Clare also writes in many other genres: her play The Weather was performed at the Royal Court Theatre, she wrote the non-fiction title Fierce Bad Rabbits: The Tales Behind Children’s Picture Books, and she toured her translation of Ovid’s Heroines as a one-woman show. Clare has been editor of Modern Poetry in Translation and Artistic Director of the Winchester Poetry Festival, and is a regular prize panellist and reviewer. Her latest adult novel The Modern Fairies was shortlisted for the RSL Encore Prize and won the Tadeusz Bradecki Prize. Her debut children’s novel The Untameables was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award, and her second, The Othernauts – a retelling of Jason and the Argonauts - is published by Bonnier in June 2026.