Tour de... Leeds

Today I am writing a story for a project related to the 2014 Tour de France.

The Tour de France starts in Leeds this year. And I am going to be working with Leeds Libraries to use the buzz around the Tour to get children excited about visiting their local library and reading for pleasure.

There are 40 libraries in the city, adding on a couple of mobile libraries. During the two weeks leading up to the start of the Tour, I will visit them all to speak to invited classes of school children. Four libraries a day. And I'll be doing it all by bike, cycling a couple of hundred miles in the process.

The idea is that I will cycle up to each library and read a specially commissioned story and speak for half an hour to the children. This is what I'll be doing:

* reading the story about a girl (aged 10) who cycles to her local library and takes out a book - as she cycles home that book takes her on an adventure related to the topic of the book she borrowed

* talking about how Leeds Libraries gave me access to books that changed my life in several ways - how reading books from my home town's libraries gave me ideas, opportunities and took me on an adventure in my life that made me a reader, a successful writer and a happy person

* showing the kids round the library, making them comfortable there, helping them to know that it is a place for them - and encouraging them to bring their parents along to have a look

* give all the kids library cards, if they don't already have them

I am really excited about doing this. Leeds Libraries really did change my life.

How?

They got me into books when I became interested in reading - age 17 - and could never have afforded to buy 1% of the books I devoured.

Their books inspired me to travel and find out about people and countries I could never have dreamed of - or dreamed of visiting.

They gave me access to university prospectuses that I would never have seen and acted on, changing the course of my life.

They fed me books when I did the last year of my university degree largely from home (and not the course base in Berkshire): I had to be in Leeds because my mum was terminally ill and I was the only one at home.

Leeds Libraries changed everything for me.

I want to pass on that message to today's Leeds children. That's what our Tour de Leeds project is about.

Now to finish the story.