Julia Donaldson becomes Stratford Literary Festival patron

Julia Donaldson has become patron of the Stratford Literary Festival’s charitable outreach work. 

The children’s writer said: “I have appeared at the festival several times and have been very impressed by the work they are doing outside of the twice-yearly book festival.  

“I believe it is a charity really committed to supporting literacy in young people, with all the life benefits that brings, and I am very pleased to be supporting what they do.” 

First established in 2008, the festival became a charity in 2015 and carries out year-round outreach work, taking authors into schools in the Midlands to inspire children, as well as inviting schools to events.

It now also runs longer literacy projects to encourage reluctant readers to develop a lifelong love of reading through different mediums such as art and drama, and holds bedtime-story parties at which parents and children share tales they have written together. 

Each month the festival hosts three book-group sessions, called Books with Friends, which is particularly aimed at people who find themselves socially isolated. Across the country, it takes workshops into prisons, with children’s authors Hollie Hughes and Smriti Halls teaching male and female prisoners to write bedtime stories for their children. The day-long workshops are intended to help lessen the trauma of a parent serving a prison sentence and help to maintain the relationship between parent and child. 

Festival director Annie Ashworth said: “We firmly believe in the impact books and reading can have on people’s lives. Having Julia as patron of our outreach work, which is central to what we do as a charity, is an enormous boost to us and validation of our work. We are thrilled.” 

The festival runs from 1st to 5th May.