This month all Virgin Trains passengers get the chance of inspiring one of Britain’s well known comics and children’s author to create a new children’s story, as David Baddeil is Virgin Trains summer author.
The comedian and award-winning author of children’s stories The Parent Agency and The Person Controller. has been commissioned to write a children’s story inspired by some of the passengers he meets as he travels across the UK on Virgin Trains east coast and west coast services.
The new children’s fiction is due for release in September and will launch exclusively on Virgin Trains’ on-board content platform, Those who want the chance to be involved but who don’t bump into David on his travels, can still share their memories via Twitter, with #SummerStories to the @VirginTrains and @Virgin_TrainsEC handles.
Commenting on the news that David Baddeil is Virgin Trains summer author he said, “Trains are, I think, my favourite form of transport. Not least because they’re the best form of transport on which to write. Something about the rhythm of the movement, the ability to look out of the window at passing scenery, and the presence of other people in the carriage to base characters on combine, in my experience, to inspire the imagination. I’m actually really looking forward to spending time on a train, just writing.”
Patrick McCall, Chairman of Virgin Trains, said, “We welcome millions of customers on our trains every summer and they carry with them an amazing array of stories and memories to share, while making new ones every day. We are working with David Baddiel, our official Summer Author, to uncover these hidden gems and create a story inspired by some of the rich tapestry of tales from our very own passengers. We’d love as many customers as possible to get involved and look forward to sharing the final book via our BEAM app come the autumn., If you’re lucky, your Summer Story might just find itself immortalised for families everywhere to enjoy!”
Virgin Trains has been working with David’s publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, to bring the story to life and become the first ‘book content’ on BEAM this year, available to all Virgin Trains passengers on board.
