St Helens Library goes all in for National Year of Reading launch event
St Helens Library is inviting families, book lovers and the local community to a fun‑filled celebration as it launches the National Year of Reading with a free, all‑day programme on Saturday 31 January.
Article date: 29 January 2026
The event takes place at St Helens Library (The World of Glass), with activities designed to inspire reading, creativity, imagination and a love of stories for all ages.
With no booking required and free entry, the day brings together award‑winning authors, artists, family activities and unique opportunities to explore the borough's literary and cultural heritage.
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK-wide campaign led by the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust, aiming to boost reading enjoyment by connecting it to people's passions and integrating it into everyday life, tackling declining reading engagement through library events, school programs, and community activities under the banner "Go All In".
Councillor Sue Murphy MBE, Cabinet Member for Localities, Culture and Heritage, said:
"The National Year of Reading celebrates the power of books and the joy of reading at every age. Our local launch event at St Helens Library offers a vibrant, hands‑on programme that brings stories to life through crafts, performance, local history, and the borough's own creative talent.
"Please join us for what is shaping up to be an unmissable event, and just the beginning of a wonderful year of reading in our libraries."
Highlights of the launch event include:
Library Area
- Immersive Storytelling for Under 5s with Storysense
10:00 - 10:30am - Face Painting with Ultimate Party People
10:00am - 1:00pm - Children's Craft Corner
Mask-making and bookmark design
10:00am - 12:00pm - Bookfolding Workshop with local artist Kate Buftan
10:30 - 11:30am - Marie Basting - Award‑winning children's author inspired by myths, fairy tales and ancient Rome
11:30am - 12:30pm - Jamie Stockley - Local animation and doodle artist
12:30 - 1:30pm - Sue Gerrard - Local author and historian
2:00 - 2:45pm - BJ Dolan - Local author of romance fiction
3:15 - 4:00pm
Mezzanine
- Shared Reading Taster Session for Under 7s and Parents
10:00 - 10:30am - Archive Service Showcase
Explore historic books from the borough's collection
11:00am - 1:00pm - Sue Gerrard Book Sales
From 11:00am - Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS)
Present throughout the day
Visitors can also join the Library Service, families can pick up free pre‑school BookTrust Packs, explore the libraries' digital reading platform BorrowBox, and enjoy refreshments served all day.