Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books, welcomes Carnegie Medal Winner and Former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho OBE to Newcastle for a special event this May

Taking place in The Attic at Seven Stories’ Ouseburn headquarters, the event will see Joseph talk about his own background, his writing process, and what inspires him before introducing audiences to his exciting new character, Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter, the star of a gripping new fantasy adventure series.

Recommended for children aged 7 and over, the event promises to be an energetic and inspiring afternoon, designed to leave young audiences brimming with enthusiasm to read, write, and create stories of their own.

Joseph Coelho OBE is one of the most significant voices in children’s literature today. A performance poet, playwright and author of over 50 books, he served as Children’s Laureate from 2022 to 2024, during which time he completed a library marathon visiting every local authority in the UK. In 2024, he was awarded the Carnegie Medal – the UK’s most prestigious children’s book prize – for his YA verse novel ‘The Boy Lost in the Maze’, and was appointed OBE for services to the arts, children’s reading and literature.

Event details
Date: Tuesday 12 May 2026
Time: 4:00pm
Venue: The Attic, Level 7, Seven Stories, 30 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ
Suitable for: Ages 7+
Tickets: Tickets are priced at £10 per person and are available online or through our box office.

Addressing the Reading Crisis.

Welcoming Joseph to host this event for children 7+ is an essential part of our commitment to encourage reading for joy for children of all ages.

In 2025, the percentage of children and young people who  enjoy reading was its lowest in 20 years.

• Just 1 in 3 (32.7%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 said that they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025. This marks a 36% decrease in reading enjoyment levels since we started asking about this in 2005.
• The drop in reading enjoyment over the last year has been especially steep among primary-aged children and boys, particularly boys aged 11 to 16.

These figures are based on 114,970 responses to The National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey from children and young people aged 5 to 18 in early 2025.

Seven Stories has spent more than two decades building a national centre in Newcastle dedicated entirely to children’s books and the people who make them. Our archive holds original manuscripts, artwork and creative materials from over 100 years of British children’s literature. But preserving the past only matters if children are reading in the present. Events like this one – bringing a Carnegie Medal winner into a room with children who might never otherwise encounter him – are part of how we honour that responsibility. As a charity, every ticket sold supports our wider work: the free exhibitions, the school programmes, the community outreach that reaches children across the North East regardless of background or circumstance. Joseph Coelho has spent his career making the case that stories belong to every child. So have we.

About Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books
Seven Stories is a registered charity and Arts Council-accredited museum based in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. Home to one of the UK’s most significant archives of children’s literature, Seven Stories champions the importance of reading and storytelling for all children through its exhibitions, educational programmes, and events. Entry to the building is free.