Foundation backs book festival fun for young readers

John Whitgift Foundation is supporting a free day of bookish fun for young readers in Croydon. We have sponsored a day of talks and activities on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at the Ashcroft Theatre, as part of the annual London Schools Literature Festival.

The Festival is organised by the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival. It’s the UK’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival, with over 100 author events, performances, workshops and free activities for young book fans and their families. The event is held in June each year. The organisers also provide 20,000+ free places for state-funded primary schools at outreach centres all over London. This is the first year the festival has run events in Croydon.

Roisha Hughes is the CEO of John Whitgift Foundation. She said: “We are delighted to be able to support Barnes Children’s Literature Festival coming to Croydon. Reading is one of life’s great pleasures, and the benefits of reading for children and young people are huge. We look forward to a special day of events that foster and encourage a love of books and storytelling for children in Croydon.”

Fun for young readers

The programme for Wednesday 17 June offers something for readers of all ages:

Former UK Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, and illustrator Fiona Lumbers will share their latest Luna adventure with children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 age groups.
Neill Cameron, the creator of the Donut Squad comics, will host an interactive workshop suitable for children in Years 3-6.
The internationally bestselling World Book Day author, Hannah Gold, will introduce her latest thrilling tale of Arctic adventure, The Lone Husky, suited to children in Years 4-6.

The magic of books

Amanda Brettargh is the Director of Barnes Children’s Literature Festival. She said: ‘We’re so proud to be partnering with John Whitgift Foundation to bring our free London Schools Literature Festival to Croydon for the first time for the National Year of Reading.

“We believe in the magic that happens when children meet the author of a book they have read in class and the lasting impact that this can have, so we just can’t wait to bring the schools of Croydon together with their favourite authors to share the power and the joy of reading and writing.”