Story reading plus public signing with Oliver Jeffers

Celebrated visual artist Oliver Jeffers will be doing a special reading of his new book A Day Off School to a limited audience (tickets are free) followed by a public book signing open to all so please book your tickets in advance to secure a place in the queue for signing.

Oliver will be signing copies of his brand new children's book A Day Off School (Illustrated by Kevin Waldron) and the new paperback edition of There’s a Ghost in This House. A free art print will be gifted with either book bought. Additional publishing by Oliver will also be available to buy on the day. Parents accompanying children are not required to purchase an additional ticket.

A Day Off School tells the story of Herbie, who stays home from school when he has the sniffles. At first, Herbie is delighted to have a day all to himself. A day to play Space Blasters uninterrupted, do some painting and to read his book in bed! But, by lunchtime, Herbie has done everything on his list and soon – despite his best efforts – his thoughts turn to school. What if something really fun is happening? Like an extra playtime or a dog loose in the corridors? What if Herbie is missing out?

There’s a Ghost in This House brings a unique and disarmingly witty take on the traditional ghost book that will go far beyond Halloween. Hello, come in. Maybe you can help me? A young girl lives in a haunted house, but has never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for eyes? Are they hard to see? She’d love to know! Step inside and turn the pages to help her on an entertaining ghost hunt, from behind the sofa, right up to the attic. With lots of friendly ghost surprises and incredible mixed media illustrations, this unique and funny book will entertain young readers over and over again!

HarperCollins Children’s Books has been Oliver’s publishing home since his highly acclaimed debut, How to Catch a Star, first published in 2004. Since then, he has become a worldwide phenomenon and a genre-busting creative force in the world of children’s books with book translations in forty-nine languages. Oliver has exhibited in museums and galleries such as the Brooklyn Museum in New York, the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. In 2022 Oliver received a Member of the Order of the British Empire Award (MBE) for his Services in Art and in 2026 Oliver joined Smartphone Free Childhood as their ambassador. He is a Trustee of Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration.