School children across Wales have been meeting up with popular children’s authors in a series of special workshops held in their local libraries.

The Stars of the Shelves scheme was funded by Welsh Government Culture Division and coordinated by the Books Council of Wales. It was formed as a partnership with libraries and schools to bring young readers together with authors for workshops celebrating books and reading. During the scheme, which took place from January to March 2025, over 5,000 learners from 126 schools across Wales have taken part.

A recent research report from the National Literacy Trust found that: “More children and young people who had experienced an author visit said that they enjoyed reading in their free time compared with their peers who hadn’t had a visit (58.6% vs. 39.3%).”

The scheme was set up for children to meet authors in creative workshops, to spark their imagination and inspire reading. It also aimed to provide more opportunities for schools and libraries to bring children out of the classroom and into their local library. A contribution towards transport costs were also included to enable learners from schools in rural areas to attend the sessions.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We are so pleased that this brilliant partnership has enabled so many children to take part in these special workshops. Author visits have been shown to be powerful ways of helping children connect with literacy, and, thanks to funding from Welsh Government and the commitment of the librarians, over 5,000 children have been able to meet authors in person and enjoy activities and discussions to inspire reading. Thank you to all the schools, libraries and authors who have helped to make these workshops possible.”

Workshops were held at 74 libraries with over 30 authors, including Robin Bennett, author of the Monster Max series, ex-Children’s Laureate Wales Eloise Williams and Tir na n-Og Award winners Claire Fayers and Daniel Morden.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism – Cllr Hazel Evans said: “This project has been absolutely amazing for drawing together authors, libraries and schools in a perfect triangle. The engagement between the authors and children was both positive and exciting, with very inspirational outcomes. It’s a project that ‘joins the dots’ in reading for pleasure and has been very successful, motivating and inspiring.”

Mae’r ddogfen hon hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg / A Welsh-language version of this document is also available.