Inspiring young minds at Exploding Words book festival

Primary school pupils from across west Cornwall discovered the magic of storytelling as Penwith College welcomed Exploding Words: Bringing Stories to Life for a day of creativity, imagination and inspiration, supported by the St Aubyn Foundation.

Children took part in interactive workshops led by acclaimed authors and illustrators Anna Wilson, Craig Barr-Green and Maia Walczak, exploring storytelling through words, drawing and creative thinking.

Throughout the day, pupils discovered how stories are created, developed characters, experimented with poetry and illustration and gained confidence in expressing their own ideas. The workshops were designed to foster a love of reading while encouraging creativity, curiosity and literacy.

Exploding Words is a charity established by the team behind the North Cornwall Book Festival, bringing immersive literary festivals into schools across Cornwall and Devon. Chaired by Pippa Hyam, with creative direction from bestselling novelist Patrick Gale, the initiative connects children with leading writers and illustrators, helping to demonstrate the transformative power of books and storytelling.

Felix St Aubyn, speaking on behalf of the St Aubyn Foundation, said:

“Every child should have the opportunity to discover the joy of reading and the confidence that comes from expressing their own ideas. Exploding Words is an initiative that nurtures creativity, inspires imagination and helps young people see the possibilities that books can open up.”

As the workshops came to a close, pupils left with notebooks filled with stories, poems and sketches, along with fresh inspiration to continue reading, writing and creating long after the day had ended.