National Libraries Day event success

Jubilee Library hosted a day of events in celebration of National Libraries Day last weekend.

Brighton & Hove Libraries in partnership with the Society of Chief Librarians and BookTrust organised for Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell to visit the library.

                                                                                                               

Chris Riddell is a prolific writer and illustrator whose work includes The Edge Chronicles and his latest series, Goth Girl. He is also a renowned political cartoonist whose work appears in The Observer, The Literary Review and The New Statesman.

On the day Chris was in conversation with writer, broadcaster and lecturer, Julia Eccleshare, the Guardian’s children’s books editor, which featured a Q&A with the audience and a live drawing session, followed by a book signing.

                                                                                             

In the afternoon the library hosted the Sussex final of the Poetry By Heart competition where local school pupils had to memorise and deliver two poems they had learnt by heart.

The winner of the competition was BHASVIC student Isobel Jones, with Jadesola Odunjo, from Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, coming in second place.

                                                                                             

There were also performances from poets Tommy Sissons, Michael Parker and Kay Walton

The event was supported by five young people who volunteered as part of the libraries services Reading Hack programme. They took active roles in the Poetry By Heart competition by helping to make the day run smoothly and photographing the event.

Mike Dixon of Poetry By Heart said: “We were thrilled to be running our Poetry By Heart Sussex County competition on National Libraries Day in the magnificent Jubilee Library. We had a wonderful celebration of poetry, the achievements of young people and the tremendous work done by Public Libraries. The Library was absolutely buzzing with excitement as students shared their poems with a very large and appreciative audien

 

You can find out more about events going on in Brighton & Hove libraries here 

To learn more about the Reading Hack programme visit http://readingagency.org.uk/young-people/004-get-involved/reading-hack.html