HAY Festival put the emphasis on children's literature this year with a strong Hay Fever programme. Families met up with literary heroes like Jeremy Strong, Jacqueline Wilson, Charlie Higson and festival favourite Andy Stanton.

Stanton told young readers: "When you write a story, you never know what's going to happen. My first Mr Gum book started life as an old tramp having a fight with a giant dog."

Children's author Michael Morpurgo shared a sofa with The Duchess of Cornwall who read to kids in the Storytime tent. The literacy champion was at Hay to launch the Scribblers Tour, an incentive involving Welsh universities, authors and young writers.

Organiser Peter Florence told The Brecon & Radnor Express: "We want to use Arts Council money to reach people from all over Wales."

A total of 224,500 tickets were sold at this year's Hay Festival, 24,500 up on last year - a 11 per cent increase.

Diana Blunt from the on site Pembertons Bookshop told The Brecon & Radnor Express: "Sales of children's books are up five times on last year."

Read the full story in this week's Brecon & Radnor Express - Out now!