Live Launch of the Summer Reading Challenge

with Trish Cooke and Alex Wharton

Watch the video

Live Launch of the Summer Reading Challenge
with Trish Cooke and Alex Wharton

On 23rd June the British Library and Camden Libraries are joining forces to get readers revved up for this summer’s challenge. This joyous free online event for Years 1 – 2 takes its inspiration from the British Library's Unearthed: The Power of Gardening exhibition and celebrates this year’s Summer Reading Challenge theme, the Story Garden.

Special guests will deliver readings, performances, and lively sing-alongs. Including award-winning author, playwright and children's TV presenter Trish Cooke and award-winning writer, poet, songwriter and performer Alex Wharton who is the current Children's Laureate for Wales. Storytime will be led by writer and British Library educator Sandra A. Agard.

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Speakers

Trish Cooke

Trish Cooke is a children’s author, playwright, and scriptwriter for TV, film and radio.

She has authored over 20 children’s books, was voted one of the 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time by BBC Culture and Time Out. Her recent book The Magic Callaloo was shortlisted for the 2025 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards and also a recipient of the Gold Standard Selection in the Junior Library Guild.

For the stage Trish has written for the Lyttleton Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East. Her work has also been shown at the Lyric Hammersmith and Bush Theatre.

TV writing includes scripts for: Doctors, EastEnders, The Real McCoy, The Tweenies, Pop Paper City, JoJo and Gran-Gran, Number One Newton Avenue and PlayDays. Radio drama scripts include: Single Plus One, Those Old Metal Things and the mini series Unspoken.

She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, a founding board member and commissioning editor for WritersMosaic and was on the board for the Society of Authors Scriptwriters Group Committee.

Headshot of Trish Cooke

Alex Wharton

Alex Wharton is an award-winning poet, writer, author and performer and the Children's Laureate Wales 2023 - 2025.

His first collection of poetry, Daydreams and Jellybeans, was shortlisted for the Lollies laugh-out-loud poetry Award and the Wales Children’s Book of the Year. His second collection, Doughnuts, Thieves and Chimpanzees, is nominated for the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2025.

His poem The Gardener caught the attention of Sir Lewis Hamilton who had it embroidered on his Burberry suit at the Met Gala 2024. In 2024, Alex’s books were adapted by Ballet Cymru for a stage adaptation of Daydreams and Jellybeans.

Headshot of Alex Wharton