Seven Stories & Korky Paul bring magic to schools
Creating a space that allows children to explore the world of literature is a top priority here at Seven Stories, and thanks to our friends Korky and UCLan Publishing we had the pleasure of hosting a free of charge multi-school event to celebrate the magic of storytelling.
The event comes at a time when the literacy gap only continues to widen. In the last month, the National Literacy Trust have found that only 1 in 3 8-18 year olds enjoy reading in their free time; the lowest level in almost twenty years. This decline signals an urgent need to ensure reading for pleasure becomes a national priority. In this way it was integral that Seven Stories were able to organise such an interactive and exciting experience with reading at the centre, while also gifting a book to every child and teacher in attendance to take home.
Author Marc Bratcher was also able to join in the fun via Zoom to say hello to children from Northern Counties School. Marc was born with cerebral palsy and is a ‘passionate believer in equal opportunities and inclusive experiences for every child.’
Marc continued, “Christmas books have always been a wonderful escape for everyone growing up. Long before we hear the words ‘accessibility’, we are dreaming of entering The Wardrobe. I’m thrilled that so many children could come to Seven Stories to celebrate the magic of accessible and inclusive stories today.’
Anne McNeil, agent for Korky Paul and Marc Bratcher said,
‘Christmas came early at Seven Stories today; it was a privilege to meet the children and their excitement was tangible. I was so proud to see debut author, Marc, on the big virtual screen after his essential wheelchair let him down. It felt like he was in the room; and Korky Paul was a legend, as ever.’
Wendy Elliott, CEO of Seven Stories, said ‘We were delighted that Korky and Marc could join us today so that children and their teachers alike can experience the magic of bringing stories to life.’
Wendy continued, ‘As an educational charity that works to support reading for pleasure, it is so important for us to be able to give children the opportunity to have a special day out that they will hopefully remember for a long time. This day was all about providing a memorable experience for schools so that pupils and teachers alike could experience the magic of bringing stories to life. In this way, it was essential that we were able to give every child a book to take home with them.’
Korky Paul said,
‘I’ve had a fabulous, enchanting day at Seven Stories, reading One Snowy Christmas Eve. The children did a drawing workshop with me and created lots of Father Christmases, and they were a brilliant audience. The event was beautifully organised by the Seven Stories team.’