Screenwriter Brenda Chapman, who won an Oscar for co-directing the 2012 blockbuster animated film “Brave,” will bring a perspective not often seen at a children’s book festival to Farmville this October. But that doesn’t mean her expertise at storytelling isn’t a perfect fit.

Chapman conceived “Brave,” the story of an independent and courageous Scottish girl, Merida, who struggles with adolescent rebellion and unleashes a chaos only she can undo, and turned it into a reality during her career at Pixar, where she had already made a name for herself on such films as “Shrek,” “WALL-E” and “Ratatouille.” Basing Merida after her own daughter, Chapman conceived of the story and co-wrote the screenplay in the mid-2000s.

The barrier-breaking writer and director will appear on several panels and workshops at the 2015 Virginia Children’s Book Festival, which will be held Oct. 16-17 on Longwood University’s campus in Farmville.

“Brenda Chapman dragged the female fairytale archetype out of bondage,” said Juanita Giles, VCBF director. “She defied her industry and created strong and free-willed female characters that are both accurate and hopeful representations of girls today. She writes stories that deeply resonate, and don’t begin and end with stereotypical romantic motivation. And frankly, boys are engrossed with her stories as well.”

Chapman broke ground as the first woman to co-direct an animated feature for a major studio when she was at the helm of DreamWorks’ “The Prince of Egypt.” She joined Pixar in 2003 before returning to DreamWorks after the release of “Brave” in 2012. She is now writing and illustrating a children’s book.

Regardless of the medium, Chapman’s work strikes a deep chord in the world of storytelling–one that goes back millenia.

“She took a very traditional storytelling medium and translated into the 21st century while maintaining the elements of storytelling that have always existed in fairy tales,” said Giles. “I see “Brave” as an impetus to kickstarting a whole new genre of literature that is the modern fairy tale–especially with a strong female as the driving force. “Brave” is a tale about a girl who is not relying on someone else to save her or make her decisions. She is empowered in a way that you’d be hard-pressed to find in any fairytale heroine previously in film or books.”

Chapman will take part in several panels at the 2015 VCBF, including “Creating a Reading Home: Why Fairy Tales Matter” at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 and again at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17. She will also be a strong voice on the “Empowering Girls Through Books” panel, which will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16.

She will also join gothic fantasy author Martina Boone at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 for “Creating a Magic Space,” a workshop where the two authors will read from their books and screenplays and discuss the pros and cons of creating a fantastic and believable reality.

The full 2015 Virginia Children’s Book Festival schedule is available at www.vachildrensbookfestival.com.

About the 2015 Virginia Children’s Book Festival
The Virginia Children’s Book festival is a two-day event each fall that celebrates and encourages reading by youth of all ages by inviting children and teens from across Virginia to meet, learn and explore with some of the most popular and acclaimed authors from across the country. The VCBF began in 2014 and drew hundreds of children and book lovers from across the state. The event is held on the picturesque campus of Longwood University, a liberal arts institution in Farmville, the heart of Virginia, and one of the hundred oldest colleges in the U.S. Already one of the premiere literary events in the commonwealth, the VCBF continues to grow and inspire children of all ages.