year 6 Event
with
Sam Sedgman
Our Year 6 Author Event is one of the highlights of the year for local youngsters. This year award-winning writer Sam Sedgman, author of thriller The Clockwork Conspiracy, proved a hit with more than 1,000 youngsters at four sessions in Cedars Hall. He told entertaining tales of how the grandfather clock of his childhood and a trip with his father to see Big Ben inspired him to write both the thriller, and its successor The Forbidden Atlas.
The Festival funded all costs, including transport, so that the event was totally free to all schools. Youngsters bought more than 2,000 books at a discount, subsidised by the Festival and by publishers Macmillan and Bloomsbury.
Previous events have included M.G. Leonard, with whom Sedgman wrote the successful Adventures on Trains series, and last year’s author Lindsay Galvin.
I’m so thrilled everyone had a great time!
“Thank you so much for another brilliant event! Year after year, we leave with a buzz for reading – and this year with minds boggled by units of measure beyond the imagination too!
Thanks for all the work that goes in to making these experiences possible: it’s so vital that children can see themselves in books and to be able imagine that they too could be the writer, it is powerful stuff!”
Kate Noel Meare School – October 2025
Just some of the projects the festival has funded
The Blue School –
Wells
We funded a visit by Nathanael Lessore, popular children’s and YA author, to The Blue School in October.
Education team members attended the Assembly he gave to around 300 Year 9 students, all of whom really enjoyed his talk.
Horrington School –
Author Visit
Rebecca Gryspeerdt local author of Helpful Nell which is based around the Bishops Palace, ran a workshop for Year 1 and 2 children from Horrington School at the Palace in September. The children have been using the book in their lessons this term and were thrilled to meet the author and see the actual location.
Waterstones Visit –
Wells
Pupils from St Aldhelm’s School, Doulting, visited Waterstones , Wells, recently and had a wonderful time exploring the Children’s Section for books to excite and challenge them. Each child left with their chosen books, all funded by Wells Festival of Literature.
Theatre Trips
Shepton Mallet Infants and Hemington Primary enjoyed a trip to The Egg in Bath.
We also supported All the World’s Our Playground Festival, in particular the residency programme which brought 6 theatre companies and shows to 10 schools in addition to theatre festivals in Shepton Mallet and St. John’s First School in Frome.
coram beanstalk
We have supported Coram Beanstalk for many years in its work recruiting and training volunteers to work with children to develop confidence and promote a love of reading. Schools who subscribe can access a range of additional services and support. We currently enable over 40 children in 8 local schools to receive this help.
schools bookclub
Reading for pleasure benefits wellbeing, confidence and learning. The Schools Bookclub allows pupils from rural primaries, who love reading, to meet termly and talk about a book of their choice. Lively discussion, differing opinions and listening to others’ perspectives makes for a rewarding and fun afternoon. All the books are funded by WFL and added to the school library.
Meet one of our schools
“Once again, in 2024, we have appreciated the support of the WFL team, who have been tireless in their mission to enthuse our children to be readers. Their generous funding of the visit of explorer and filmmaker, Matt Dickinson, inspired our pupils to be adventurous in their writing and to aspire to be writers, recorders and adventurers.
Not content with this, the team also helped to fund our Book Vending Machine and donated books towards filling it. This has motivated our children to read even more so that they can win themselves a book by hitting their targets.
As if that weren’t enough, our pupils also got to visit Cedars Hall in Wells to be part of the audience for author Lindsay Galvin’s inspiring talk. As ever, they returned to school with renewed vigour and keen to get writing.
The work of the WFL team is invaluable in facilitating affordable author visits and experiences for local schools, and their passion for the world of books and reading is so evident that it inspires not only the pupils of St. Ben’s but also the staff and parents. A HUGE thank you from our whole school community!”
Piers Ranger – Headteacher St Benedict’s CofE VA Junior School
Piers Ranger – Headteacher St Benedict’s CofE VA Junior School
We are looking forward to working with more schools, while continuing to support projects that encourage a love of reading and put even more books into the hands of local children.
We are always happy to hear from schools with ideas which we might help fund.