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Breaking News! Stepping Into Stories listed amongst '10 Best Inclusive Kids’ Book Events You Should Know About', alongside Hay, Barnes and Bath Festivals (Inclusive Books For Children, 2025)

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Stepping Into Stories is an ambitious, top quality festival, run by a small team of committed, energetic women (all wearing various creative hats!): 

 

• Mo O’Hara: children’s author, actor and storyteller: www.moohara.co.uk 

• Lucy Reynolds: children's author and book creator: www.lucyreynoldsauthor.co.uk

• Margaret Bateson-Hill: children’s author and storyteller: www.margaretbateson-hill.co.uk 

• Hayley Byfield: Station Hall manager & director: www.skewbaldtheatre.org

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Founded in 2019, the festival grows from strength to strength each year, attracting over seven thousand participants in 2025 and hosting leading lights from across the world of children’s books. Our heart is firmly rooted in the communities we serve, and each year we enable thousands of children from some of London's most deprived wards to grow a life-long, life-changing love of reading for pleasure. 

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Past authors and illustrators have included: 

 

Joseph Coelho, UK Waterstone's Children's Laureate, 2022-24; Chris Riddell OBE, UK Waterstone's Children's Laureate, 2015-17; the late Alex Wheatle MBE; Patrice Lawrence MBE; Laura Henry-Allain MBE; Matt Goodfellow; Robin Stevens; SF Said; Yuval Zommer; David Farr; Alex Falase-Koya; Tom Palmer;  Jeffrey Boakye; Frann Preston-Gannon; Rashmi Sirdeshpande; AM Dassu; Steve Antony; Alex Strick; Louie Stowell; Ramzee; Leif Bersweden; Breis; Jasmine Richards; Ally Sherrick; Robert Tregoning; Laura Ellen Anderson; Candy Gourlay;  Thiago De Moraes; Cath Howe; Jane Elson; Alex Cotter; Stuart Lawrence; Nicholas Allan; Alice Hemming; Gareth P Jones; Ken Wilson-Max; Jodie Lancet-Grant; Bridget Marzo; Ross Welford; Frances Durkin;  Paul Lyalls;   Jane Porter; Karin Littlewood; Cerrie Burnell; Gaby Dawnay; Alex Barrow and many, many more!

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Inclusivity and diversity underpin all that we do. Our programme of speakers is broad, inspirational and inclusive; many of the schools and communities we work with come from some of London’s areas of highest deprivation; and we make sure cost is never a barrier to anybody taking part through an active programme of concessionary tickets and targeted free events. The festival is run by and for the community and is supported by an army of local volunteers and schools who roll up their sleeves together to make amazing things happen!   

 

“The organisation and volunteers were superb - I was proud to be a part of the festival" - the late Alex Wheatle MBE, Winner of the Guardian's Children's Fiction Award 

 

“Interactive, inspirational and accessible for all the children” - audience participant