Basket: 
I’m Kat Lynas, an illustrator who loves exploring stories, drawing and the ways words and images can work together. I’m fascinated by how reading doesn’t just happen in books, but in lots of different forms, from comics and zines to local history collections and everyday things we might overlook. I’m also a lead artist on The Pop-up Cardboard Museum of Natural History from the Future, which has been to Southbank Library and is coming back in February half term. Working on that project made me see even more clearly how libraries can be lively, creative places full of surprises.
I’m really looking forward to being the Reader in Residence for Redcar & Cleveland and spending time exploring the library collections here. During the National Year of Reading, I hope to celebrate reading in all its forms and help people see libraries as places to discover, create and respond to stories in their own ways. I’ll be running relaxed, playful workshops where you can draw, listen, make and explore ideas inspired by the collections. I want to help people reconnect with reading through the things they already love, whether that’s art, history, food or music. I can’t wait to meet library staff and local communities and share the joy of reading and creativity together.
