Build a Library Campaign 2024

The bestselling and multi-award winning author/illustrator, Rob Biddulph, joined us in a packed couple of days of events with local schools in October to celebrate its donation of hundreds of books to their libraries.

The author, who was behind the hugely successful online #DrawwithRob events during lockdown, began by entertaining 450 children at a special session hosted by The Croft School Preparatory School, joined by children from Alveston, Bridgetown and St Gregory’s Primary Schools. Rob had all the children drawing and then mesmerised them with his guitar and a special reading to an animated film of his charming new book, I Follow The Fox.

Over the next two days, Rob visited Shottery Hathaway Lane Primary, Bishopton Primary, Our Lady’s Catholic Primary in Alcester, Studley St Mary’s Primary and Our Lady’s Catholic Primary in Princethorpe to officially ‘open’ the schools’ newly-stocked libraries.

The Build a Library initiative, the result of a very successful fundraising campaign by the Festival with funding raised matched by The Big Give, enabled all five primary schools to each receive over 130 new books, curated in partnership with Warwickshire Library Service, to help restock their depleted library resources.

’We beat our fundraising target by fifty per cent,’ said Festival Director Annie Ashworth, ‘which demonstrates how strongly people feel about wanting to support children’s reading and especially access to books in school. As a charity, this is at the heart of what we do, and we are so thrilled to have had Rob with us to celebrate this very special campaign.’

‘I have absolutely loved visiting schools with the team at the Stratford Literary Festival and seeing how their amazing library initiative will benefit children first hand,’ said Rob, who is the author of several bestselling children’s books including Odd Dog Out and is involved with the National Literacy Trust's Coronation Libraries initiative spearheaded by the Queen. ‘Providing kids with access to books is the very best kind of gift, and it's been wonderful to see all those smiling faces.’

'We were thrilled to open our doors to other local primary schools as part of the Stratford Literary Festival this autumn,’ said Marcus Cook, Headmaster of The Croft. ‘Having Rob Biddulph talk to the children about his literary journey was nothing short of inspiring, the Draw with Rob session created a theatre full of children waving their wonderful creations on clipboards, and his new book took us all on a special, and very beautiful winter adventure.'

Angela Edwards, Schools Advisor for Warwickshire Schools Library Service, said: ‘We were thrilled to be asked to be part of this project, as getting books into schools and working with staff to encourage reading for pleasure forms a huge part of what we do. We liaised with each school to understand their requirements before our expert team of librarians put together bespoke book orders. It is wonderful not only to see the enthusiasm with which pupils have greeted Rob but to see the books in place – all ready for children to get their hands on.’

‘The children were absolutely buzzing after Rob's visit and are so excited and thrilled by all the beautiful new books in the library,’ said Clemmie van Hasselt, English Lead at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Princethorpe. ‘It's really incentivised Reading for Pleasure in the school and it's so wonderful to think of all the inspirational things that we can do now with these fabulous resources,’

The project if part of the Festival’s outreach programme in schools, the community and prisons.