Writing the next chapter with The Story Makers' Circle
In September we officially launched our major donor programme, The Story Makers’ Circle at an inspiring event in The Merrion Hotel in Dublin. The Story Makers’ Circle is a giving community of leaders who believe every child deserves the life-changing power of reading and are committed to making that a reality. We were joined by some special voices in literature to share just how much the gift of reading for joy can mean for children and young people.
Chair of Children’s Books Ireland, Madeleine Keane, hosted an open conversation with Laureate na nÓg Chris Haughton; Stephen Daly, author and Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland at the Seamus Heaney Centre; and award-winning Irish novelist, short story writer and academic Belinda McKeon. Friends, supporters and new faces joined us for this intimate evening to explore how giving children the joy of reading gives them so much more than books.
Chris Haughton spoke about how books give children agency in a way screens often do not. Reading can be a powerful alternative to algorithm-driven content, because books allow children to choose, follow their own curiosity, and take ownership of their attention and imagination.
"The right book at the right time has the power to change the course of a child’s life."
- Laureate na nÓg, Chris Haughton
Belinda McKeon shared the powerful way that stories give children inner resources and, using examples from her own life with her children, demonstrated how a love of reading helps children develop self-knowledge, emotional resilience, imagination, and the ability to be with themselves – especially important in a world competing for their attention through devices.
Stephen Daly was passionate about the power of books to help children discover who they are. He emphasised how the right book can pull something hidden or unspoken into the light, giving young readers recognition, confidence, self-respect, and a sense of possibility.
Attendees heads were nodding along in acknowledgment as the speakers reminisced about the adults in their lives who inspired a love of books and reading for them, fostering a lifelong passion that has impacted them in a big way. There were lovely moments of connection as the audience recognised the powerful books our speakers loved that are fondly remembered. The evening was peppered with laughter too. We heard about Belinda’s satirical fiction writing phase growing up when she inserted a religious pun about Moses into her work that was duly crossed out in red pen by her teacher. Chris’s childhood love of Animal from The Muppets offered a funny glimpse of the early influences that later shaped his work, while Stephen’s reflections on how rule-breaking children in stories gave him the confidence to question the world around him.
Together, our speakers eloquently conveyed how important and life-changing reading can be for children, not just for literary and educational attainment, but for nurturing and promoting identity, agency, resilience, imagination, and gifting them lasting benefits that will support them to do well in life as adults.
We are so grateful to our brilliant speakers, Stephen Daly, Chris Haughton, and Belinda McKeon for their powerful contributions on the evening. Our thanks to our wonderful chair Madeleine Keane for facilitating such a moving discussion that reminded us of how essential reading is for our children and young people. We would also like to thank The Merrion Hotel for kindly supporting this event. Lastly, we want to share our appreciation for all our supporters and friends who joined us and who help to make the work we do possible.
