Epic journey comes to an end for Children’s Laureate


NEWLY appointed Honorary CILIP Fellow Joseph Coehlo (see page 5) has come to the end of an epic jour- ney to visit every public library service in the UK. The poet and playwright set out four years ago to visit one library from each of the 213 services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And last month he rounded­off the challenge with a visit to the British Library. The current Waterstones Children’s Lau- reate said: “Libraries made me a writer and make communities thrive. They have been a vital part of my life: from living on estates where I had a library next door, to my first Saturday job, to working at the British Library whilst studying at UCL, to touring theatre shows designed to be performed in libraries. I’m immensely grateful to librar- ies and the services they provide. “I have visited libraries in every library authority in the UK: from large Carnegie libraries to tiny libraries in converted one­bedroom flats, on buses and even


Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho crosses the ‘Library Marathon’ Finish Line at The British Library.


bikes. The dedication and passion of librarians has been inspiring – not only offering book recommendations, but also safe havens for people to be warm, to feel


less socially isolated, to learn new skills or simply to weigh their newborn babies. Libraries have always played a vital part of my life.”


October-November 2023


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 9


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