Celebrating Literature
As part of our year as London Borough of Culture 2025, we are encouraging our young people to develop a love of books and reading.
In Wandsworth we are proud of our 11 libraries, and earlier this year we celebrated the launch of the GLL Literary Foundation at Battersea Library in recognition of Wandsworth’s role in championing libraries, supporting local authors and welcoming over 1 million visits to our libraries last year.
From September every child under five will get a free book every month thanks to our partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Books are carefully chosen by early childhood experts and published by Penguin Random House UK, ensuring they are all age-appropriate and high-quality. Each month, a range of activities and resources will be developed to support the chosen books in our Libraries, Nurseries and Family Hubs and will also support reading at home.
During the autumn term, top children’s authors and former Children’s Laureates, will be hosting events in schools to help children foster a love of reading.
On September 15 Chris Riddell, illustrator author of The Edge Chronicles series, will be at Ark Putney Academy to meet Year 3, 4 and 5 pupils from Wandsworth Primary schools.
On September 18 Joseph Coelho, a performance poet and children’s author who grew up in Wandsworth, will be in the Wandsworth Civic Suite to meet children from Reception to Year 2. He will talk about his new book, Children of the Throne.
And on October 17 Cressida Cowell, author of How to Train Your Dragon, will be at Burntwood School to speak about her work to children from Years 4, 5 and 6.
On November 18-19 the LBoC Schools Poetry Festival in the Wandsworth Civic Suite will see pupils aged 8-10 work with professional poets to write and perform their own poetry, culminating in a finale in front of family and invited guests, headlines by Joseph Coelho. The festival is delivered in partnership with performance poetry organisation Apples and Snakes.
All families can also attend a wide range of events in our libraries, including children’s storytimes, book groups and poetry groups. See what’s on near you.