Meet our Readers-in-Residence!

To celebrate the National Year of Reading we have commissioned five readers-in-residence to engage adults in reading activities and explore the diverse collections held by our libraries.

Theodore Forcer for Hartlepool Community Hubs
A poet, facilitator, multimedia artist and an avid reader, Theodore is excited about helping people explore archival work to preserve local history and host hands-on workshops where participants can listen to, play with, and respond to archive materials together.

Claire Jennings for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Libraries
Claire can’t wait to share the delights of the hidden gems in Stockton’s collections and shine a light on the magic of reading. She’s planning a Midsummer Magic event to explore the folklore collection and a Silent Disco with audiobooks!

Louise Logan-Smith for Darlington Libraries
Poet, fiction writer and lecturer Louise is passionate about making reading accessible, meaningful and connected to people’s lived experiences and interests. She is excited to create spaces where readers can respond creatively to what they’ve read.

Kat Lynas for Redcar & Cleveland Libraries
Illustrator Kat loves exploring stories, drawing and the ways words and images can work together. She is planning relaxed, playful workshops where participants can draw, listen, make and explore ideas inspired by the book collections.

Debbie Rolls for Middlesbrough Community Hubs & Libraries
Debbie was a writer-in-residence for Crossing The Tees in 2023 writing Everyone Welcome: Remembering and Celebrating Teesside Libraries. Debbie plans to focus on ‘reading the local area’ and exploring the local history, landscape, and folklore of the area. Look out for free activities and events with our Readers-in-Residence in our libraries throughout the summer.