15 diverse authors will take part in events from 17-30 March to inspire children to enjoy reading stories with characters they can relate to
· Research from the National Literacy Trust shows multiple benefits of reading for enjoyment; but too many children are missing out because they do not feel represented in the books that they read
· The festival builds on the success of two book collections distributed to over 50 primary schools in the city, focused on ethnic diversity and neurodiversity
· See Myself in Books is delivered by Read Manchester, a partnership between the National Literacy Trust and Manchester City Council
Thousands of children across Manchester will discover books with characters they can relate to during the first See Myself in Books Festival, in a bid to boost reading for pleasure across the city.
The festival, which is delivered by Read Manchester – a partnership between Manchester City Council and the National Literacy Trust – runs for the next fortnight until 30 March and sees 15 diverse authors taking part. Highlights include a flagship event for schools at The Stoller Hall and a family fun day at the National Football Museum.
The See Myself in Books Festival builds on the success of two book collections specially curated for the city’s primary schools, which include 25 books focused on ethnic diversity and a further 25 books focused on neurodiversity. Copies of these books have been distributed to over 50 local primary schools so far and families can also borrow them at their local library.
The fortnight-long festival sees events across the city in schools, libraries and other community venues, including in-person events with diverse authors, with children and families encouraged to join in and also seek out some of the books to read themselves from the two collections.
Over 350 local primary school pupils joined in the festival’s kick-off event for schools this week at The Stoller Hall. The event focused on ethnic diversity in books, with bestselling authors including Nathan Bryon, Dapo Adeola, Maisie Chan and Bobby Joseph. Each pupil who attended the event was given a copy of one of the authors’ books to take home.
Read Manchester will also be taking over the National Football Museum this Saturday 22 March, with a See Myself in Books family fun day to celebrate diversity in children’s literature and football. Author Priscilla Mante will read from her book, Jaz Santos vs The World (Puffin) and answer questions from families. There will also be craft activities and a book hunt for children of all ages. The event runs from 10 am – 3 pm and is free to attend for all Manchester families. Author reading sessions take place at 11 am and 2 pm.
Children across Manchester are also invited to design a See Myself in Books bookmark, which celebrates ethnically diverse or neuro-diverse characters in books. Three winning designs will be turned into official Manchester Libraries bookmarks, which will be shared across the city. Pick up an entry form at local libraries or find out more at readmanchester.org.uk
The See Myself in Books Festival comes as Manchester works towards becoming a UNICEF recognised Child Friendly City – a place where children’s rights are understood and respected, and that adopts a whole city approach towards making Manchester the best possible place for a child to grow up in.
