Young imaginations ignite as Story Explorer Day comes to Skipton
Bestselling children’s authors, illustrators and storytellers feature in events and activities for families in the North Yorkshire town on Sunday 1 March 2026
Families with young children can discover the thrill of brilliant stories and explore their imaginations at Story Explorer Day, taking place in Skipton on Sunday 1 March 2026. Themed around classic children’s tales, the day will feature author events, storytelling sessions and a range of hands-on craft activities for children aged 0-11.
This exciting one-day event has been made possible thanks to a new partnership between arts organisation Word Up North, Skipton Town Hall and Skipton Library as well as generous support from Bradford Grammar School.
Best-selling author Anna James will be inviting families to join her in Wonderland as she explains how her new book ‘Alice with a Why’ is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale; hilarious storyteller and self-confessed show-off Gav Cross will be delivering laughs and scares in equal measure as he performs his show ‘Twisted Tales for Terrible Children’; illustrator and author Kate Pankhurst will be celebrating some of the historical figures featured in her wildly popular ‘Fantastically Great Women’ series of books; and the author of the authorised sequels to AA Milne’s ‘Winne-The-Pooh’ stories, Jane Riordan, will share the magic of The Hundred Acre Wood with interactive drawing activities and storytimes.
In addition to the author sessions, there will be plenty of craft activities to enjoy! Make Mad Hatter hats with StoryBees or create shadow puppets inspired by The Jungle Book with Indigo Moon theatre. From 13 February to the 5 March, everyone is invited to follow a fun trail and find Winne-the-Pooh characters in locations across Skipton, thanks to participating Skipton BID members.
For those who don’t want to have to wait until March to unleash their imaginations, Skipton Library is inviting budding young artists aged 4–11 to get creative and re‑imagine a classic story in its Children’s Art Competition, with entries to be submitted by 21 February. To find our more visit @SkiptonLibrary on Facebook, email Skipton.Library@northyorks.gov.uk, or call 01609 534548.
Pre-booking is required for most events with tickets priced £4 per person (adults and children). They are available online from both wordupnorth.org.uk and skiptontownhall.co.uk, by phone on 01943 816714 / 01756 706397, and in person from Skipton Town Hall. Some activities are free of charge with no advance booking required – visit wordupnorth.org.uk/whats-on for full details.
For enquiries, contact Erica Morris: erica@wordupnorth.org.uk
About
Word Up North
https://wordupnorth.org.uk/
Word Up North is a Yorkshire-based arts charity with a mission to raise up voices, stories and writers in the north. They aim to foster a love of reading, writing and creativity within individuals and communities, and use the power of the written and spoken word to create positive change. Word Up North is the producer of the north’s longest-running book festival, Ilkley Literature Festival, established in 1973. In 2025, Word Up North worked with the BBC and Bradford 2025 to produce Contains Strong Language, the broadcaster’s flagship festival of poetry and spoken word performance as part of Bradford’s UK City of Culture.
Skipton Town Hall
Address: High Street, Skipton, BD23 1AH.
https://skiptontownhall.co.uk/
Skipton Town Hall is a Culture North Yorkshire cultural venue, part of North Yorkshire Council. Hub for Culture, Heritage & Community in North Yorkshire, home to the award winning Craven Museum, an Exhibition Gallery, Visitor Centre and Gift Shop.
In 2024, the Craven Museum at Skipton Town Hall was named as one of five finalists for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024, the world’s largest museum prize.
Skipton Library
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/leisure-tourism-and-culture/libraries/local-libraries/skipton-library
Address: High Street, Skipton BD23 1JX.
Skipton Library, managed by North Yorkshire Council, is a friendly, accessible community space offering free books, digital resources, Wi‑Fi and computers, local studies materials, and activities for all ages.