- Press Releases
Shrewsbury’s young readers are invited to a very special day in the Town Square this summer. Shrewsbury’s Big Read, on Saturday 25 July from 10.30am to 2.30pm, celebrates Go All In, the National Year of Reading 2026 – and everyone is welcome to drop in, free of charge.
- Draw It, Tell It with Dapo Adeola
Dapo Adeola, named Illustrator of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards, will lead lively drawing and story sessions for younger children aged 3 and up. - Read, Ask, Chat with Sophie Kirtley
Sophie Kirtley, author of The Wild Way Home and The Way to Impossible Island, will host readings and author Q&As for children aged 7 and up.
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK-wide campaign designed to help more people rediscover the joy of reading. A Department for Education initiative supported by more than 900 partners, ‘Go All In’ brings reading events to communities nationwide.
Emma Molyneux, Project Lead for Shrewsbury BID, said:
“Reading is vital for developing young minds, so we’re thrilled to get behind the National Year of Reading and help inspire Shrewsbury’s next generation with a fun day of activities led by two genuine literary headliners.
“This is exactly the kind of unique, high-profile cultural event that makes Shrewsbury so special. Dapo and Sophie are two of the best in the country at what they do, and we expect them to draw families from across Shropshire and the wider Midlands into the town centre – which means a great day out for young people and a welcome boost for our shops, cafés and restaurants too.
“Everything on the day is free, there is no need to book, and we will be giving away books for kids and adults to take home. Whether you come for a workshop with a little one or just take the opportunity to settle into a beanbag with a good story, we hope to see you in the Square later this month.”
Shrewsbury’s Big Read is a Shrewsbury BID project, part-funded by the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Partnership’s Vitality Fund, and has been developed in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
Laura Benson, Regional Lead, National Year of Reading Central, said, “Reading, in all its many forms, is the doorway to creativity, success and joy. The National Year of Reading is delighted to be partnering with Shrewsbury BID on this fantastic event bringing two hugely successful authors to the town, as well as supporting Shropshire Libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge. We hope to see lots of children and families there, for free creative activities and books to take home – and to find out more about the Reading Challenge.”
Councillor Alex Wagner, Portfolio Holder for Transformation and Economic Growth at Shropshire Council and a member of the Big Town Plan Partnership’s Board of Directors, said, “It’s fantastic to see Shrewsbury supporting the National Year of Reading with an event that brings world-class creative talent right into the heart of our town centre.
“Reading opens doors to imagination, learning and opportunity, and this free event will give children and families the chance to be inspired by two exceptional storytellers. I’m delighted that the Big Town Plan Partnership’s Vitality Fund has helped support this initiative and I look forward to seeing The Square filled with young readers discovering the joy of books.”
About Dapo Adeola
Dapo Adeola is an illustrator, author and character designer who was awarded Illustrator of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2022. He rocketed into the picture book world with his acclaimed illustrator debut Look Up!, written by Nathan Bryon and published by Puffin in 2019, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2020.
Dapo illustrated My Dad is a Grizzly Bear and My Mum Is a Lioness, written by award-winning author Swapna Haddow (both published by Macmillan Children’s Books), and collaborated with Malorie Blackman on the picture book We’re Going to Find the Monster. He made his author debut in 2021 with Hey You!: An Empowering Celebration of Growing Up Black (Puffin), featuring 18 talented Black British illustrators, which won Illustrated Book of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards. Born in Britain and of Nigerian heritage, Dapo is an avid believer in the importance of equal representation in the creative arts. He lives in Manchester.
About Sophie Kirtley
Sophie Kirtley grew up in Northern Ireland, where she spent her childhood climbing on hay bales, rolling down sand dunes and leaping the raw Atlantic waves. She now lives in Wiltshire with her husband, three children and their mini-menagerie of pets and wild things. Sophie has always loved stories; she has taught English and worked in a theatre, a bookshop and a tiny pub where folk tell fairytales by candlelight. She is a prize-winning published poet and the author of the middle-grade novels The Wild Way Home and The Way to Impossible Island.
