Marlborough LitFest is delighted to kickstart its 2026 outreach programme by donating £500 of books to local primary school, Marlborough St Mary’s. Eighteen children, all class representatives from the school council from Year 2 to Year 6, visited The White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough to choose a selection of books for their respective year groups. The bookshop also generously gave a 15% discount on all the books selected by Marlborough St Mary’s pupils.
Marlborough LitFest is more than just an annual weekend full of bookish delights each September. The festival believes that it’s also an opportunity to share the joy and benefit of reading with as many people in and around Marlborough as it can and especially with children. LitFest strives to spread knowledge and appreciation of literature and the arts in a year-round programme of free author talks and events at local primary and secondary schools and libraries that last year reached 1,200 children from tots to teens.
Mandy Pilgrim, Head of Children’s LitFest, said: ‘We are delighted to be donating a significant collection of books to St Mary’s this year. At the heart of our aim is the belief that every child should have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of a great story. By putting these books directly in the hands of young readers, we hope to help spark that passion for reading that goes beyond the classroom.’
Russell Goodman, deputy head of Marlborough St Mary’s said: ‘At Marlborough St. Mary’s, we believe that the most important thing we can do for our children is engender a love of reading. Because of this, reading sits at the very heart of our curriculum. We could not be more grateful to Marlborough LitFest and our favourite bookshop, The White Horse Bookshop, for helping us with this important mission.’