MG Leonard Author Talk & Book Signing

We’re excited to welcome best-selling children’s author and Buglife Ambassador M.G. Leonard to our Festival of Insects, celebrating 10 years of her much-loved adventure story Beetle Boy.

Join us on the morning of 27th June for an author talk and book signing – part of Buglife’s Festival of Insects, which continues in the afternoon at Canvey Wick.

Books will be available to buy on the day, or feel free to bring your own copy along to get signed.

About the book:

Darkus is miserable. His dad has disappeared, and now he is living next door to the most disgusting neighbours ever. A giant beetle called Baxter comes to his rescue. But can the two solve the mystery of his dad’s disappearance, especially when links emerge to cruel Lucretia Cutter and her penchant for beetle jewellery? A coffee-mug mountain, home to a million insects, could provide the answer – if Darkus and Baxter are brave enough to find it…

‘Ever since I was little I’ve been frightened of creepy-crawlies. Then I found out that beetles can be pretty, brightly coloured, even gold. Others are as strong as the Incredible Hulk. Some shoot acid out of their butts, and all beetles have wings! My fear had stopped me from seeing how fantastic beetles were, and so I decided to write an adventure with the beetles as the good guys.’
– MG Leonard

On the day:

• Doors open at 10:45am, with the talk starting at 11am.
• Everyone attending will need their own ticket. All children will need to be with an adult.
• Wat Tyler Country Park can get busy during summer, so it’s worth arriving early to find parking. If the main car park is full, you can use the Green Centre car park nearby. If coming by train, the venue is within walking distance of Pitsea Railway Station.
• There will be a photographer at the event capturing the day. If you’d rather not be included in photos, just let one of the organisers know when you arrive.

To book your place, head to our TryBooking tickets page.