Published: Thursday, 27th February 2025
World Book Day is just around the corner, and there are stacks of free events happening across Medway to celebrate.
This year’s World Book Day falls on Thursday, 6 March, however, the annual celebration of all things reading kicks off on Saturday, 1 March in Medway.
We will be holding a series of free events for readers of all ages to enjoy, across our libraries and community hubs, as well as in primary schools, between Saturday, 1 March and Sunday, 15 March.
The celebrations will be launched with a free World Book Day Festival at Chatham Library and Community Hub on Saturday, 1 March, from 10am to 1pm. Brought to you by our Medway Libraries and Child-Friendly Medway teams, the fun-filled day will include talks from renowned children’s author Holly Webb and local artist Designed by Esther, family-friendly activities, puppet shows, face painting as well as the chance to meet with iconic books characters Willy Wonka and Miss Trunchbull.
There will be plenty of activities including storytimes, craft and colouring sessions, quizzes, a treasure hunt, dress-up competitions and World Book Day themed early years events, brought to you by the council’s Medway Libraries and Child-Friendly Medway teams.
Family creative writing sessions will also be held at Strood Community Hub on Saturday, 8 March and at Hempstead Library on Saturday, 15 March, from 11am to 12noon.
Booking is not required, and you can find out more information about all of the events on our website.
A number of primary school children across Medway will also be visited by authors, poets and an illustrator.
These World Book Day events are one part of the our commitment to encourage a love and passion for reading among children and young people across Medway. Child-Friendly Medway’s ‘For The Love Of Reading’ legacy initiative aims to encourage and inspire children and young people to develop a passion for reading and a love for books.
Books have the power to take you to magical worlds or learn something new
Cllr Nina Gurung, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and Leisure, said: “Encouraging people to read from a young age is so important. It is incredibly beneficial to a child’s development, helping with both their processing and writing skills, but it can also spark their imagination and creativity.
“Books have the power to take you to magical worlds or learn something new, and the love of reading is something that can enrich your whole life. I am thrilled to see the wide-range of events our teams are putting on in Medway to celebrate this year’s World Book Day, and I hope as many of you as possible are able to come along. Although we want to encourage our children and young people to read as much as possible – remember it’s never too late to start. Even if you aren’t planning on attending any of the events on offer, why not pop down to your local library – who knows, it could be the start of a new chapter for you!”
Learn more about World Book Day.