Fundraising artwork auction is announced

We are pleased to announce that we're hosting an art and illustration auction to help raise funds to support our programme of free in-school workshops in 2026, the National Year of Reading.

Original artwork and limited edition prints from some beloved children’s illustrators will be available, including pieces from Helen Stephens, Jon Agee, Rebecca Cobb, Satoshi Kitamura and Axel Scheffler.

The auction will go live from 12pm Friday 28th November until 8pm Sunday 7th December 2025, spanning Giving Tuesday.

The impact of in-school creative workshops

Each year, The Children's Bookshow gives approximately sixty schools the incredible opportunity to welcome children's authors, illustrators, and poets into their classrooms, completely free of charge. The artists host hands-on creative workshops where children can develop their own storytelling and illustration skills, guided by some of the very best children’s book creators.

Established in 2003, The Children’s Bookshow has organised over 600 free in-school workshops and every single one has had a tangible positive impact. Working directly with authors and illustrators in-school has the power to transform pupils' approach to creative writing and artistic expression.

100% of teachers who responded to the charity’s 2024 evaluation survey say that these in-school workshops increased children's confidence in working creatively, with pupils who normally hesitate to participate finding their voices during these sessions and gaining belief in their creative abilities.

At a time when reading engagement is at an all time low, with the need to boost reading for pleasure high on the national agenda, 85% of teachers also reported that the in-school workshop provided by the charity helped increase their pupils’ engagement with the author’s books. Many teachers also highlighted the positive impact of putting enjoyment at the heart of literacy, particularly for pupils who struggle to meet the demands of the curriculum.

“SF Said’s approach to editing and re-drafting has made us rethink how we teach story writing. The way he encouraged the students to write freely, made it accessible and successful for everyone.”
Feedback from a 2024 in-school workshop

Participation in the auction will really make a difference

It costs the charity £17,000 to run the workshop programme each year, giving hundreds of children the opportunity to experience the joy of working creatively, free from any academic pressure. By participating in the auction, members of the public can help to fund this activity for 2026, inspire the next generation of readers, writers, and artists and ensure that The Children’s Bookshow can continue its work in the National Year of Reading.

Kate Arafa, co-director of The Children’s Bookshow, said:
"The Children's Bookshow art auction is a wonderful opportunity for art lovers and book enthusiasts to purchase original artworks and limited edition prints from some of the world's very best children's illustrators. There are a wide variety of pieces to choose from by beloved illustrators and exciting new artists and we are so grateful for their support of our work. Bring the joy of books and reading into your home, find an excellent Christmas present, or a new piece of art to add to a developing collection, while supporting The Children's Bookshow to continue our vital work in 2026."

The auction will include original artworks and limited edition prints. Work from an exciting variety of well-known children’s artists will be available to bid for, including contributions from Alexis Deacon, Catherine Rayner, Neal Layton and Christian Robinson, as well as Paper Doll’s illustrator Rebecca Cobb; creator of How to Hide a Lion, Helen Stephens; 2026 Carnegie Medal for Illustration nominee Jon Agee; and award-winning, internationally-acclaimed illustrator of The Gruffalo and so many other beloved children’s books, Axel Scheffler.

The full list of available artworks will be published ahead of the auction launch on 28th November.

We will add a link here to the Jumblebee Auction site as soon as it's live and you can also sign up to The Children’s Bookshow newsletter to receive notifications about the auction.

For all media enquiries, including interview or content requests, please contact kate@thechildrensbookshow.com

What does The Children's Bookshow do?

Founded in 2003, The Children’s Bookshow is a charity that inspires children with a love of reading. The organisation introduces children to world-class authors and illustrators through a programme of theatre events and in-school workshops. The artists selected are chosen from a wide variety of countries and cultures to give young people access to the very best stories, poems and illustrations from all over the world.

The Children’s Bookshow annual autumn tour aims to bring the best children’s authors and illustrators from the UK and abroad to local theatre venues, giving teachers and primary school children the opportunity to hear world-class artists talk about their work.

During The Children’s Bookshow events, authors and illustrators introduce their work, talk about their working lives, show children the paint brushes and notebooks that they use, and talk about the tools and tricks of their trade. In doing this, they offer children a real insight into what it means to work creatively.

Every child who attends an event is given a book by the artist performing to take home and keep. For every theatre event, the charity also collaborates further with local schools to bring them an in-classroom workshop, giving children the opportunity to work directly with an author, poet or illustrator and to explore their own creativity.