World Book Day, the charity behind the world’s biggest celebration of reading for pleasure, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, has teamed up with Read Manchester, UK National Cycling Centre, and WHSmith to bring Share a Story Live to the city.
The free event will see six of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors and illustrators bring books to life for over 1,000 Manchester school children from eighteen different schools in the centre of the Manchester Velodrome on World Book Day, Thursday 5th March.
World Book Day is bringing its hugely successful Share a Story Live tour to four communities across the UK where low levels of literacy are seriously impacting people’s lives: Manchester, Glasgow, Hastings, and Middlesbrough.
The National Literacy Trust works in each of these areas to bring together local businesses, health, education, and cultural organisations to help tackle literacy challenges in the community.
World Book Day’s Share a Story Live event in Manchester is being led by Read Manchester, a campaign from Manchester City Council and the National Literacy Trust to promote reading and boost literacy throughout the city.
The event boasts a stellar line-up including TV and radio presenter, and author of the Toto the Ninja Cat series, Dermot O’Leary,Children’s Laureate and creator of How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell and Three bestselling World Book Day 2020 authors Onjali Q. Raúf (The Day We Met the Queen),
Matt Haig (Evie in the Jungle), and Robin Stevens (The Case of the Drowned Pearl: A Murder
Eighteen lucky primary schools have been chosen to attend the special event as a reward for their commitment to reading for pleasure and support of the Read Manchester campaign: Barlow Hall, Christ the King, Cringle Brook, Holy Name, Ladybarn Primary, Manchester Communication Primary Academy, Medlock Primary, Mount Carmel, St Aidan’s Catholic, St Francis RC, Varna Community Primary, Crowcroft Park, Irk Valley, Briscoe Lane, Old Moat, St Augustine’s, St Dunstan’s and St Peter’s.
Following the event, in partnership with WHSmith, every child will be able to exchange their free £1 World Book Day book token for one of the 2020 World Book Day titles. Read Manchester will gift a signed copy of a book written by one of the authors attending on the day to each child.
Dermot O’Leary said: “The message of World Book Day is so important. It’s a day to celebrate the joy of reading which is crucial if children are to grow into connected and compassionate adults. I love visiting schools and chatting to the kids about what they enjoy reading and writing about so I am delighted to be part of the Share a Story Live event on World Book Day.”
Kirsten Grant, Director of World Book Day, said: “World
Book Day is committed to increasing its social impact year-on-year. It’s our vision to offer every child in the UK
the opportunity to read and love books, and our collaboration with the National Literacy Trust plays a hugely important part in our efforts to bring the joy of sharing a story to young readers where this will make a real difference. Having the chance to be inspired by this amazing range of authors and illustrators will have an enormous impact on how the children in the audience view books and reading. It will be a very special experience for them.”
