Over 1,700 youngsters have enjoyed a book festival in Barrow.
The week-long BookTastic Barrow Children’s Book Festival was a celebration of books and storytelling and organisers said it was the biggest and most successful yet.
Primary aged pupils from 13 schools across Barrow, including schools from South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, attended the festival at Barrow Town Hall, where they met some of the UK’s most celebrated children’s authors and receive free signed books.
The festival welcomed an impressive line-up of writers, including Patrice Lawrence, award-winning author of Orangeboy, Needle and Eight Pieces of Silva; Onyinye Iwu, author of A Tablet for the King and champion of diverse storytelling; Kate Pankhurst, creator of the bestselling Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World series and Jim Smith, the much-loved author and illustrator behind the Barry Loser series.
Wildlife expert, adventurer and eco-journalist Sarah Roberts, author of Wild Apprentice, also captivated young audiences with stories from her extraordinary career working with wildlife around the globe.
Stepping in at the last minute, she enthralled pupils with her stories of working all over the world in different environments.
She introduced pupils to careers including palaeontologist, climatologist, explorer, marine biologist and environmental journalist, while her book highlights the subjects that can help young people pursue those ambitions.
BookTastic is a national literacy movement founded by Barrow-born Rachael Rogan, who brought the initiative back to her hometown for a second consecutive year.
Rachael said she was honoured to bring world-class children’s literature directly to the children who need it most.
She said: “It was five days of pure literary magic – plus a week that almost wasn’t – and one the children of Barrow will never forget.
“Last-minute author cancellations threatened to derail the entire festival in the days before it opened – the kind of logistical nightmare that would have stopped many organisations in their tracks but didn’t stop BookTastic.
“With the support of publisher partners Scholastic and HarperCollins, the programme was rebuilt at speed and the show went on.”
The festival has its roots in the highly successful Ormsgill School Book Festival, founded by Laura Reid, assistant headteacher at Ormsgill Primary School, who remains one of the driving forces behind the expanded BookTastic Barrow event.
Laura was joined by a dedicated team including Michelle Banks, deputy head at South Walney Junior School, St George’s deputy head Karen Stringer, Cathy Fox Fidler from Barrow Libraries and artist Hannah Willetts, whose creative work helped transform Barrow Town Hall into a vibrant literary landscape.
Laura said: “The pupils have been completely transfixed by the authors, their stories and the opportunity to meet them afterwards and receive a free signed book.
“The festival inspires a genuine love of reading and unlocks new worlds for our pupils. Reading for pleasure helps children develop empathy, creativity, confidence and curiosity. When children choose to read because they enjoy it, the benefits extend far beyond the classroom and can last a lifetime.”
The event was supported by Team Barrow, a partnership between Government, Westmorland and Furness Council and BAE Systems, established to help transform the town through investment and opportunity, including improvements across education. It was also funded through the kindness of an anonymous donor.
