See Myself in Books Festival
We are hosting our first ever See Myself in Books Festival in Manchester from 17 March to 30 March 2025 with lots of events for schools and families to enjoy and feel inspired.
The festival will introduce children, teachers and parents to diverse authors and the See Myself in Books collections available to schools and in libraries.
Events for schools
Our flagship event for schools will take place on Tuesday 18 March at The Stoller Hall. This event for primary school pupils will involve fantastic authors including Nathan Bryon, Dapo Adeola and Maisie Chan, with the focus on ethnic diversity in books. We hope to inspire pupils to enjoy reading books with characters they can relate to.
Across the two weeks of the festival, there will be more events for schools with brilliant authors both in person and online.
Schools can also access teaching resources to support the ethnic diversity and neurodiversity collections and the use of these books in the classroom.
If your school is interested in attending the events, please email Cheryl Pridgeon or Margaret Duff.
Family fun day at the National Football Museum
Read Manchester will take over the National Football Museum on Saturday 22 March with a See Myself in Books family day, celebrating diversity in children’s literature.
Author Priscilla Mante will read from her book, Jaz Santos vs The World and answer questions from families. There will also be craft activities and a book hunt for children of all ages.
The event will take place from 10am to 3pm, with author sessions at 11am and 2pm. All Manchester families are invited to attend for free.
Community events
Our brilliant Manchester Libraries colleagues and Read Manchester Literacy Champions will be running See Myself in Books events and activities across the city throughout the festival.
Interactive Storytelling with Afrocats
Gorton Library on Saturday 22 March, 2pm - 4pm
Join Afrocats for a fun workshop of interactive storytelling with diverse characters, using movement and dance to explore themes, emotions, and cultural identity. The workshop will begin with a short storytelling session featuring children's books that showcase diverse characters and experiences. We will use movement and dance to bring these stories to life. No need to book, just come along on the day. Suitable for children aged 4+.
Make a Clay Peg Doll
Withington Library on Saturday 22 March, 2pm – 4pm
Enjoy crafty fun with artist Mandy and create a foam clay peg doll of yourself or a book character from our diverse book display. We will provide everything you need, including clay in different skin tones. No need to book, just come along on the day. Suitable for children aged 4+.
Make Odd Sock Plant Pots
Didsbury Library on Saturday 22 March, 2pm – 4pm
Join artist Mandy for a fun workshop where you can make yourself into a planter, with odd sock pots for faces and plants for hair! This session will celebrate how everyone is different and special. No need to book, just come along on the day. Suitable for children aged 4+.
Make a Pop-Up Book
Beswick Library on Saturday 22 March, 11am - 1pm
Join artist Caroline and literally put yourself into a Concertina pop-up book! In this session you’ll be able to take a photo of yourself and turn it into a sticker for your special book. No need to book, just come along on the day. Suitable for children aged 4+.
Why is See Myself in Books important?
Reading for enjoyment brings so many benefits, but too many children are missing out on them because they don’t feel represented in the books they read.
