Children’s Laureate visits pupils in Thurso and Dornoch

Current Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho is this week (15–19 May) embarking on a tour of rural schools including Dornoch Academy and Mount Pleasant Primary School in Thurso.

Joseph will visit schools in the Highlands, Western Isles and Orkney with the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour, run by national charity Scottish Book Trust and sponsored by Scottish Friendly. The tour will reach over 1000 pupils over the course of the week, who will get to enjoy creating poems and sharing stories with one of the UK’s most loved children’s writers.

In addition to the school visits, Joseph will be visiting Stornoway Library and Orkney Library to tick two more regions off on his Library Marathon – a mission to sign up to a library in every UK local authority during his Laureateship.

The tour will also see Joseph Coelho open the brand-new school library at Ness Castle Primary School in Inverness and take part in the online celebrations of Bookbug Week.

Joseph Coelho said: "I am delighted to be joining the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour organised by Scottish Book Trust in May. I look forward to visiting schools and libraries in Orkney, the Highlands and the Western Isles and sharing my love of books and reading with its local communities."

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: "We’re thrilled to be taking Joseph Coelho out on the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour. It is so important to ensure all regions of Scotland have opportunities for exciting in-person events and visits. We know that bringing brilliant authors and illustrators into schools can be the spark that ignites a life-long, and life-changing, love of reading for so many children."

Alexander Manas, commercial director of Scottish Friendly, said: "We are delighted to have Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho join us on the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour. The purpose of these events is to bring the joy of sharing stories to communities, and we are excited for the schools in Orkney, the Highlands, and the Western Isles to have this opportunity. We hope the children are not only inspired by Joseph’s poems but also by his journey to becoming a poet and author."

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