The organisers of the Smithdown Litfest, in partnership with Liverpool Learning Partnership and Liverpool Libraries & Information Services, are looking for two Reading Champions from primary schools in the postcodes of L8, L15, L17 and L18.
We are inviting Y5 and Y6 pupils in these schools to write a book review of their favourite book during this year’s Smithdown Litfest (25th to 28th September). There are some great prizes for the winners, who will become the Smithdown Litfest Reading Champions for 2025.
To Enter:
Pupils should write a book review of between 200 and 400 words. The book review should include:
- The title of the book
- The author of the book
- The genre of the book (e.g. fantasy, mystery, thriller …)
- Some information about the story and main characters
- What the reviewer likes about this book
- Who else would enjoy this book
Reviews should be saved as a Word document with the pupil’s name, year and school at the top of the document and emailed to: readingchampions [at] smithdownlitfest.com no later than midnight on Tuesday 30th September 2025. Entries will be anonymised before judging.
The Judges:
Alison Cassidy, Team Leader-Read Department, Libraries and Information Services
Jenny Holder, Senior Development Lead for Creative and Cultural Education Engagement at Liverpool Learning Partnership
Margaret Murphy, award-winning author and patron of the Smithdown Litfest
Ian Skillicorn, Publisher and Director of the Smithdown Litfest
The Prizes:
Y5 Reading Champion
£100 book token for the Reading Champion’s school
£25 book token for the Reading Champion
Y6 Reading Champion
£100 book token for the Reading Champion’s school
£25 book token for the Reading Champion
The Reading Champions’ reviews, and a selection of runners up, will be displayed in Liverpool Central Library, alongside the books reviewed, and published on the Smithdown Litfest website.
A downloadable participation certificate will be available for teachers to print out and complete for each pupil who takes part in the Reading Champion competition.
“We can’t wait to hear all about your favourite book. The Smithdown Litfest Reading Champions is a great way for you to share what you like to read, and to inspire others to read too.” – Ian Skillicorn, Founder and Director, the Smithdown Litfest
“At Liverpool Learning Partnership, we believe that every child deserves the chance to find joy, confidence and curiosity through reading. The Smithdown Litfest Reading Champions competition is a wonderful opportunity for young voices to shine, share their favourite stories, and inspire others across the city. We’re proud to support this celebration of imagination and literacy in our schools.” – Jenny Holder, Senior Development Lead for Creative and Cultural Education Engagement
“Liverpool Libraries & Information Services are delighted to support the Smithdown Litfest which has gone from strength to strength every year with wonderful and inspiring content. We hope the book displays, and book reviews freely available to view at libraries near the festival events, will be equally inspiring, and encourage attendees to widen their reading choices and connect them to new authors and genres.” – Denise Jones, Head of Central Library