When is National Storytelling Week?
In 2025, National Storytelling Week will be taking place from Saturday 1 February to Sunday 9 February.
What is National Storytelling Week?
This fantastic annual event is a joyful celebration of the power of sharing stories. Stories teach us about the world; they allow us to step into someone else’s shoes and feel empathy; they help us to relax and escape and they can help develop essential literacy skills.
What is our theme for National Storytelling Week?
Our theme for National Storytelling Week 2025 is ‘Reimagine your world’. Whether it’s something unexpected on your way to school, odd sounds you hear at night, or a path you’ve never followed, the world around us is full of secret lives, places and possibilities. The most extraordinary story can come from the most ordinary place: it just needs someone to find it.
Our plans for National Storytelling Week 2025
Supported by Amazon, this year at the National Literacy Trust, National Storytelling Week will be a celebration of both storytelling and writing for pleasure. At a time when young people’s writing enjoyment levels are at their lowest, National Storytelling Week has never been more important.
Our classroom activities span three phases, and we’d love you to take part in all elements:
Sign up for National Storytelling Week workshops
Supported by Amazon, we have an exciting schedule of FREE, interactive, online writing workshops with expert storytellers for all UK schools and home educators. Led by award-winning authors, a highly engaging multi-discipline storywriter and even a former Children’s Laureate – you and your pupils will not find a better way to spend National Storytelling Week.
Follow the links below to sign up for a writing workshop and participate in National Storytelling Week:
Accompanying classroom resources
Our writing workshops are accompanied by classroom resources to help you deliver exciting storytelling projects for Key Stages 1-3 (P2-7, S1-3). The resources, as well as the workshops, follow the ‘Reimagine your world’ theme to promote a love of writing and storytelling, in a way that also meets national curriculum requirements for writing.
Click on the relevant key stage link below to find out more about our classroom resources:
We also have National Storytelling Week activities and resources for families and Early Years settings.
Submit your stories to our National Storytelling Week Anthology
At the end of the week, students aged 5 to 14 who have been freshly inspired to explore their own writing journey can submit their writing to us for the opportunity to be published in our National Storytelling Week Anthology and to receive individual feedback on their work from Amazon.
More information about how to submit your classes’ stories will be added nearer the time.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about National Storytelling Week 2025, please email Young Writers: young.writers@literacytrust.org.uk
What teachers told us last year
“I was blown away by the engagement of the children in the creative writing process - when they were free from the constraints of learning objectives, they were so enthusiastic.”
“Our children absolutely loved the session and the chance to meet a real author – all be it by screen. The children said they felt inspired to write their own stories. They also loved how we have one of her books in our reading corner, so it was great to be able to make that link.”
“My pupils were so excited today that they didn't want to pause to go to the playground for break time. It is so amazing to see them so inspired.”