One of the founders of a festival that launched 25 years ago to promote literacy and language said yesterday that the event’s roots could be found in a school reading nook that “instantly gathered cobwebs”.

Racháel Robinson held a classroom in the library of CedarBridge Academy and decided to make an area for children to lose themselves in books.

However, to her dismay, very few children used the space and she knew she had to do something about it.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette ahead of the 25th annual Children’s Reading Festival, the signature event of the Bermuda Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Ms Robinson said: “The children were not reading. I was an avid reader so I wanted to promote reading.

“I started to have reading circles at CedarBridge and it was amazing how quickly children fell into the love of reading.

“They loved getting read to. Some would come in during their lunch time while others even volunteered to read aloud.

“I was the new president of the sorority and I was always consulting with Aderonke Bademosi, now Bademosi-Wilson, the previous president. I said I really want to take this to the next level.

“We decided that we were going to do a book exchange. Then we started taking kids to the park, playground or wherever we were afforded, and I would have bags of books in the back of my car.

“We did a couple of unofficial events in 1997 and 1998 building up to the first official Children’s Reading Festival in 1999 at Victoria Park.”

Ms Robinson and Ms Bademosi-Wilson also brought on board Jana Pitcher who was at the time the sorority vice-president, and a primary schoolteacher and reading expert.

This was the founding team of the annual festival.

Dr Pitcher said: “Two years into our local efforts, we were invited by North Jersey Alumnae Chapter to participate in a book swap as a part of their international outreach.

“I had actually attended their programme in New Jersey at Liberty Park and hence we embarked on developing a more formal model for Bermuda’s event.”

The purpose of the festival is to encourage children to find joy in reading, to inspire imagination and creativity through performing arts and fine arts, and to provide access to parental resources.

Themed the Silver Jubilee to celebrate the 25th anniversary, the 2024 event has a stronger focus on inclusivity, providing support and resources for children with learning challenges and differences.

Shawnette Smith, the president of the sorority’s Bermuda Alumnae Chapter, who has a background in speech and language pathology and reading recovery, said the event has grown in strength over the years and she is excited it is further expanding its reach.

Organisers give out about 1,000 books per year and between 1,500 and 2,000 people attend.

She said: “We have a teacher for the visually impaired who will be doing a presentation that ties into the inclusivity.

“She will be doing a story under the gazebo and will be at the resource tent for parents to talk about how literature can be presented not just with words but also with actual items to engage children, even more so for those who have challenges.

“We have a learning support teacher who specialises in inclusion, who will talk about how that looks in her classroom. There will be QR codes for resources for parents to take home.

“The Reading Clinic will be there so we are happy to partner with them as well.”

Books will be read to attendees by authors and community leaders including David Burt, the Premier, Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education, as well as Rebecca Lawrence and Brianna Ball-Roach of Beyond Inclusion.

Denise Riviere, cochairwoman of the festival along with Marxine Herbert-Watson, added: “The minute you walk in the park there is activity.

“There are fun castles but we take the opportunity to show the children that literacy can be fun as well.

“They will doing memory games and word scrambles, and things that encourage literacy.

“We have the readers’ pavilion with story telling. To see the captivated look on kids’ faces when they are transported into a book really does show the importance of keeping that connection to physical books.

“For the first time, we are having our literacy Candy Land game. We are doing a whole layout in a part of the park that looks like the Candy Land game.”

The 25th Children’s Reading Festival will be held on November 2 at Victoria Park from 11am to 4pm.

The festival is geared towards children aged 14 and under, and every child will receive a free book.

Entry is free and there will be coupons for a free portion of popcorn and a drink.

The event will feature a Literacy Through Technology tent, creative stations, magic, music and a performance by Gombey dancers.

Attendees were encouraged to come dressed as their favourite character and to join the costume parade at 2.30pm.

• For more information, visit the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Bermuda Alumnae Chapter 25th Annual Children’s Reading FestivalFacebook page