YOUNG book lovers from across Tameside have come together to celebrate a shared love of reading as part of the borough’s first Young Readers Award.
The pilot initiative brought together pupils from 10 secondary schools, with each school selecting a team of readers from Years 7 to 9.
Over three months, delivered by Tameside’s libraries as part of the 2026 National Year of Reading, the students read and discussed three acclaimed books by authors with links to the North West before voting for their overall favourite.
The winning title was Doug Naylor’s Sin Bin Island, which came out on top following presentations from each participating school at a celebration event marking the end of the programme.
During the event, pupils took to the stage to champion their chosen book, delivering creative presentations that brought the stories to life and explained why they deserved to win.
As well as reading the shortlisted books, students visited their local libraries and took part in creative writing workshops led by authors Lis Jardine and Ashley Thorpe.
The sessions encouraged the young readers to develop their own crime and fantasy stories, giving them ideas they can continue building on beyond the programme.
The celebration also gave pupils the opportunity to quiz the authors during live question-and-answer sessions, offering a behind-the-scenes insight into the writing process and life as an author.
The Young Readers Award forms part of the National Year of Reading, which aims to inspire more people to read for pleasure and discover books that match their interests.
Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture, Cllr Leanne Feeley, said: “What a fantastic event to celebrate students’ love of reading. As part of the National Year of Reading, we are encouraging a greater focus on reading and fostering a lasting interest in books.
“We hope all the young people involved enjoyed the programme, and we congratulate them on the superb, creative work they produced.”