Catch up on all our Empathy Day Festival
LIVE and on demand events
Let us know how you’re taking part! Tag us on social media @EmpathyLabUK and use the hashtag #EmpathyDayFestival
Videos will be available to watch until 12 July
Festival Assembly with Frank Cottrell-Boyce
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Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Friends launch the Empathy Day Festival. This short video is 2 minutes long and suitable for both primary & secondary.
Manon Steffan Ros
Assembly 1
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Celebrate the 10-day Empathy Day Festival with EmpathyLab and e-sgol in two special assemblies with author, Manon Steffan Ros.
Watch on demand to kick off your celebrations before Empathy Day itself on 12 June. Welsh and English sessions available.
2 June
Manon Steffan Ros
Assembly 2
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Celebrate the 10-day Empathy Day Festival with EmpathyLab and e-sgol in a special assembly with author, Manon Steffan Ros.
Join on 11 June to kick off your celebrations before Empathy Day itself on 12 June. Welsh and English sessions available.
Paste this link into your calendars and click to join on 11 June.
11 June
The BIG Share with Rashmi Sirdeshpande
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The Empathy Day Festival assembly with Children’s Laureate Frank Cotterill-Boyce is 10 minutes long and suitable for both primary & secondary.
Live events and webinars
Joseph Coelho &
Elle McNicoll
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Recommended for ages 7-14 years (Key Stage 2/ P4 to P7 & Key Stage 3/S1, S2, S3)
Celebrate Empathy Day with a free fun and interactive empathy-themed session with brilliant authors – poet and former Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho and Elle McNicoll. Jump into someone else’s story through brilliant characters and poems, Empathy Challenge activities and a live Q&A.
A fantastic way to bring the Empathy Day Festival to a close and celebrate the empathy work you have been doing throughout the Festival and on Empathy Day, itself.
About the authors
Poet, Joseph Coelho is the former Waterstones Children’s Laureate and author of titles including Poems Aloud and Overheard in a Tower Block.
Multi-award-winning Elle McNicoll is author of Keedie and A Kind of Spark, now an award-winning BBC TV series.
EmpathyLab x World Book Day webinar
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An EmpathyLab x World Book Day webinar, part of the Empathy Day Festival 2025. Join us to explore the role of book talk in reading for pleasure and reading for empathy.
A free webinar for teachers, librarians and those who live and work with young people.
Expert guest speakers include:
• Sarah Mears – Empathy Lab co-founder & Programmes Director, Libraries Connected
• Kate Sayer – Communities and Development Manager at World Book Day, a reading for pleasure charity funded by publishers & booksellers in the UK & Ireland, whose mission is to give every child and young person a book of their own
• Professor Teresa Cremin – Professor of Education (Literacy) at The Open University. She is co-director of the Literacy and Social Justice Centre and leads a vibrant Reading for Pleasure research and practice coalition
• Nazneen Ahmed Pathak – lecturer in Creative Writing art at the University of Exeter and author of City of Stolen Magic (Puffin).
EmpathyLab x Place2Be
webinar
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An EmpathyLab x Place2Be webinar, part of the Empathy Day Festival 2025.
A free webinar for teachers, librarians and those who live and work with young people.
A discussion on the power of reading to support young people’s wellbeing and mental health, the role that reading for empathy has in emotional regulation and social cohesion and the importance of accessible preventative tools such as reading.
Expert guest speakers include:
• Imogen Bond – Managing Director, EmpathyLab
• Rebecca Kirkbride – Clinical Director at Place2Be, a charity that specialises in a whole school approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing
• Anthony Kessel– National Deputy Medical Director for NHS England. Anthony also writes teenage fiction, which interweavessupport for mental health,including Don’t Doubt the Rainbow (Crown House Publishing)
• Sharna Jackson –award-winning, bestselling author and Artistic Director and author of The Good Turn (Puffin) and The High-Rise Mystery series (Knights Of)
EmpathyLab x Auticon
webinar
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A free webinar for teachers, librarians and those who live and work with young people.
Research indicates that reading helps us all practice empathy that we can transfer to real life situations. An exploration and discussion on
• the relationship between autism and empathy and the additional support we can provide to ensure autistic children and young people have this experience
• the importance of books authentically written from the perspective of autistic children and young people, to ensure autistic readers see themselves and their experience reflected in books
• reflections from award-winning author/illustrator Aoife Dooley on her own neurodivergent experience of books and reading and what inspires her writing
Expert guest speakers include:
• Sarah Mears – Empathy Lab co-founder & Programmes Director, Libraries Connected
• Dr Helen Demetriou – Chartered Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology and Education at theUniversity of Cambridge. Her latest publication is Empathy can be taught at school – and it can lead to more creative thinking
• Dr Ashlea Cromby – Neuroinclusion Advisor for auticon UK, a social enterpriseon a mission to improve the employment prospects of neurodivergent people
• Aoife Dooley – award-winning illustrator, writer and comedian and creator of graphic novels including Finding My Voice and Frankie’s World (Scholastic)
Annemarie Anang & Lisa Thompson
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Jump into someone else’s story with Lisa Thompson and Annemarie Anang lead a fun and interactive session, where your children will hear about their books, learn about the importance of compromise and participate in the Empathy Artists challenge to develop their perspective-taking skills.
About the authors
Lisa Thompson is a former BBC radio producer and the bestselling author of Sidney and Carrie Have a Partyand Carrie and the Roller Boots (Barrington Stoke).
Annemarie Anang is an actor, musician, former primary teacher and author of picture books including Dance Just Like So! and I Am Nefertiti (Five Quills).
You will need
• Paper & pencils
• You can also use the Empathy Shorts for inspiration: https://empathylab.uk/empathy-shorts/
Please note
• You can expect 20 mins of author presentation, with signposted breaks for interactivity
• You should leave at least 30-40 mins to complete the session
• You can take part in the session without advanced preparation
A.M. Dassu & Sita Brahmachari
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In partnership with Refugee Week, authors A.M. Dassu and Sita Brahmachari invite pupils to develop their perspective-taking skills when discussing the experience of being a refugee, and make their own Empathy Resolutions to make a difference in the world around us.
Please be advised: This session contains discussion of reasons why refugees need to leave their homes, and ways in which everyone is vulnerable to change. Some children may need reassurance or find this a worrying thought. We suggest teachers / adults discuss this more fully with children so they are supported.
About the authors
A.M. Dassu is is a former World Book Day author and internationally acclaimed author of 13 children’s books, including Boy, Everywhere & Kicked Out (Old Barn)andFight Back(Scholastic).
Sita Brahmachari has worked with many theatre companies to develop education programmes with a focus on bringing underrepresented diverse voices to the fore. Sita is the award-winning author of Artichoke Hearts (Macmillan) and Phoenix Brothers (OUP).
Download the Refugee Week (16-22 June) resources, including the Children & Young People’s pack at https://refugeeweek.org.uk/take-part/resources/
Sarah Hagger-Holt &
Ashley Hickson-Lovence
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Join brilliant authors Sarah Hagger-Holt and Ashley Hickson Lovence as they get discuss their powerful books for young adults and get to know one another better. Students willparticipate in the Empathy Chat challenge to develop their empathic communication skills.
About the authors
As a writer and editor, Sarah Hagger-Holt develops creative content, tells stories and inspires people to action. The Fights That Make Us(Usborne)is their first young adult novel.
Ashley Hickson–Lovenceis a novelist, poet, literary critic, Lecturer of Creative Writing and former English teacher. Wild East (Penguin) is his first young adult novel.
You will need
• Question prompts
Please note
• You can expect 20 mins of author presentation, with signposted breaks for interactivity
• Leave at least 30-40 mins to complete this session
• You can take part in the session without advanced preparation
Sue Cheung & Alex Latimer
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Get ready to be creative! Author/illustrators Sue Cheung and Alex Latimer help pupils explore and express different feelings and emotions. In this creative session, pupils willdevelop an understanding that emotions change over time, as well as their own style of creative self-expression, as they are invited to take the Emotions Maps challenge.
About the authors
Sue Cheung is an EmpathyLab-trained author and multi-award-winning author and illustrator of books for young people of all ages, including Chinglish (Andersen).
Alex Latimer is a South African writer and illustrator living in Cape Town. He has written and illustrated for many major brands across the globe. His books for children include Gordon, the Meanest Goose on Earth (Oxford University Press).
You will need
• Paper & colouring pens/pencils
• Empathy Emotions word grid
Please note
• You can expect 20 mins of author presentation, with signposted breaks for interactivity
• Leave at least 30-40 mins to complete this session
• You can take part in the session without advanced preparation
Phil Earle & Sarah Crossan
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Phil Earle and Sarah Crossan invite students to develop their understanding of issues in the wider world and put empathy into action – and what that means, whether local, political or global. An interactive session to support student-led social action, where students will participate in the Empathy Post challenge to develop their emotional intelligence and perspective-taking.
About the authors
Sarah Crossan grew up in Dublin and London. Her books for children and teenagers, including One and Where the Heart Should Be (Bloomsbury) have won many prizes including the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal, the CBI Book of the Year, the YA Book Prize, and the CLiPPA Poetry Award
Phil Earle has worked as a care worker, drama therapist and bookseller, where he discovered his love of children’s literature. Phil is the award-winning author of When the Sky Falls (Andersen) and Northern Soul (Barrington Stoke).
You will need
• Empathy Post template
• Or paper and colouring pens/pencils to make your own
Please note
• You can expect 20 mins of author presentation, with signposted breaks for interactivity
• Leave at least 30-40 mins to complete this session
• You can take part in the session without advanced preparation
Hannah Gold & Tom Palmer
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Hannah Gold and Tom Palmer deep dive into their characters to help pupils develop and practice language for sharing and understanding emotions and try out in the Empathy Characters challenge.
About the authors
Hannah Gold is the award-winning author of Finding Bear and Turtle Moon (HarperCollins). Hannah is passionate about writing stories which share her love of the planet.
The much-loved author of over 60 books for young people, Tom Palmer’s career has been based around the world of reading and writing – in bookshops, libraries, book festivals and literacy charities, including Angel of Grasmere and Resist (Barrington Stoke).
You will need
• Empathy Emotions word grid
• Character bookmarks
Please note
• You can expect 20 mins of author presentation, with signposted breaks for interactivity
• Leave at least 30-40 mins to complete this session
• You can take part in the session without advanced preparation
Rashmi Sirdeshpande & Tom Percival
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Rashmi Sirdesphande and Tom Percival have fun with feelings – what they are and how to share them. An interactive session where pupils will participate in the Empathy Superpower Glasses challenge to jump into someone else’s story and see things from someone else’s perspective.
About the authors
A former lawyer and now children’s author, Rashmi Sirdeshpande is autistic with ADHD, which explains her fantastic fizzy brain! Rashmi loves discovering new things, dreaming up stories, and making books with amazing illustrators, including How to Change the World(Puffin) and Dadaji’s Paintbrush(Andersen).
Tom Percival has been drawing since he’s been able to hold a pencil, and making up stories for as long as he can remember. Tom is the bestselling author/illustrator of the Big Bright Feelings series (Bloomsbury) and The Wrong Shoes (S&S).
You will need
• Empathy Superpower Glasses template
• Or paper and colouring pens/pencils to make your own
Please note
• You can expect 20 mins of author presentation, with signposted breaks for interactivity
• Leave at least 30-40 mins to complete this session
• You can take part in the session without advanced preparation
Other events
First Time Feelings
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First Time Feelings author video
Understanding and sharing feelings is a key empathy skill, which can be developed from the earliest age. These picture books from Puffin Books will help young children, their families and caregivers explore ‘first time feelings’ together, including belonging & inclusion, anxiety & nervousness and anger & mood management.
Find out what each of the authors do to demonstrate empathy in everyday life and their stories, in this brand-new video, created to watch in your setting as part of the Empathy Day Festival. Featuring Serena Brown, Phil Earle, Caryl Lewis, Nadia Shireen & Kristina Stephenson.
Share a Story with Elmer
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Share a story with Elmer in partnership with Tall Stories
Suitable for early years
Draw with Rob
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Join Festival Favourite, Rob Biddulph, for a special empathy-themed Draw With Rob.
About the author
Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi award-winning author/illustrator of children’s booksfor all ages including Blown Away, GRRRRR!, Odd Dog Out and the Peanut Jones series. During the pandemic, he started his series of twice-weekly draw-along videos, #DrawWithRob, which has been immensely popular, garnering millions of views and international media coverage.
Before becoming a full-time author/illustrator, Rob was the art director of the ObserverMagazine.
Poetry Unslammed
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What happens when you really listen to stories told by four poets with very different perspectives? How can we listen to connect? And are you inspired to take action?
About the poets
Paul Jenkins is a former teacher turned writer who now works in schools promoting the power of words and creativity to all. His books include nonsense works (The Bottom Burps trilogy, Doodles from my Noodle) and stories which encourage young readers to connect with their emotions (Bigger than the Bullies, The Tale of the Tail of Donald T.Snail). Paul is also Poet-in-residence at Springhill Hospice in Rochdale and of Ramsbottom Running Club.
Karl Nova is a hip hop artist, performance poet and award-winning author who also works as an educator running hip-hop flavoured creative writing workshops in schools.His debut collection of poetry and short stories, Rhythm And Poetry, won the 2018 CLiPPA Poetry Award.
Coral Rumble is an award-winning poet who has contributed to nearly 200 anthologies for young people – and author of books including A Little Light.
JionSheibaniis an author and illustrator of children’s and young adult books, including The Silver Chain.
Please note
• You can expect 20 mins of author presentation, with signposted breaks for interactivity
• Leave at least 30-40 mins to complete this session
• Preparation: Pupils will need to choose a poem to share with a partner.
Virtual School visit with Lisette Auton
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First Time Feelings author video
Understanding and sharing feelings is a key empathy skill, which can be developed from the earliest age. These picture books from Puffin Books will help young children, their families and caregivers explore ‘first time feelings’ together, including belonging & inclusion, anxiety & nervousness and anger & mood management.
Find out what each of the authors do to demonstrate empathy in everyday life and their stories, in this brand-new video, created to watch in your setting as part of the Empathy Day Festival. Featuring Serena Brown, Phil Earle, Caryl Lewis, Nadia Shireen & Kristina Stephenson.
Buy the titles from the
Read for Empathy collection
