Maleficent (PG) + Show and Tell with Anna Kemp

March's month of films for book lovers begins with this reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, seen through the baddie's eyes.

This brilliantly dark fantasy tells the famed Sleeping Beauty story by Charles Perrault from the point of view of the ‘Evil’ Queen – played with delight by Angelina Jolie – and asks the questions: why did she cast the spell? What is true love?

Anna Kemp – a successful children’s writer who, amongst other things, has given fresh twists to some familiar fairy tales – will give us a short introduction before the film about how she comes up with her stories, what inspired her to create new and unexpected characters, and how to turn traditional narratives upside-down.

Anna’s books include The Worst Princess, Sir Lilypad, Dogs Don’t Do Ballet, Dave The Lonely Monster, Fantastic Frankie and the Brain Drain Machine and The Great Brain Robbery. She is also a Senior Lecturer in French at Queen Mary University, London.