About Family Workshop: How to Grow a Story
Experiment and have fun in this playful storytelling workshop with authors Candy Gourlay and Felicity Yeoh.
Join in fun filled story games, share ideas and discover adventures with a magic fish bag and spinning wheel as we discover how characters can change and grow a story.
Then experiment with your own characters as you design your own book to take home.
Your support
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Candy Gourlay
Candy Gourlay has written books for all ages.
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Her middle grade historical novel Bone Talk was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and her young adult novel Wild Song won the National Children's Book Award in the Philippines and a Peace Prize in Germany.
Her picture books Little Rhino Lost and Is It a Mermaid? are set in her native Philippines. But most of all she loves making comics.
Felicity Yeoh
Felicity Yeoh is an award-winning writer and poet.
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Felicity has acted in the Cambridge Footlights, volunteered as a classroom reader and been a Foyle Young Poet of the Year, FAB Prize and Penguin WriteNow shortlistee.
She loves making up stories and knitting for her three small children, nephews, nieces and godchildren.
Her rhyming picture books The Kingdom of Tigers and Yum Yum Dim Sum (coming January 2027) are set in the Malaysian rainforest and a busy restaurant – and are both about the search for belonging and never giving up.
Family activities at the Library
We have lots of free family events and workshops in London and West Yorkshire. Spaces can fill up quickly, so please book ahead.
You can also pick up a Family Trail from the Information Desk to help you explore the Library further, and visit our free Treasures Gallery.
Food and drink
Families are welcome at all of the Library’s cafés and restaurants. The Terrace Café on the first floor has lots of seating (including an outdoor terrace for sunny days). Highchairs are available in the Terrace Café and the Upper Ground Floor Café, subject to availability.
Families with children may also bring their own food to eat outside on the Piazza or in our public spaces, and there are water fountains that can be used to refill water bottles across the building. Please do not consume food or drink inside the exhibition galleries.
Baby-feeding
Parents are welcome to breastfeed or bottle-feed anywhere in the Library. Please ask a member of Library staff if you would like help finding a quieter space.
Please note that we cannot heat bottles or baby food in our cafés and restaurants.
Bags, cloakrooms and lockers
Our cloakroom and digital lockers are free to use, located on the Lower Ground Floor with step-free access. Please note our cloakroom is closed on Sundays, but you can still use our lockers. View more information on our bags and luggage restrictions.
Baby-changing and toilets
There are baby-changing stations available in the following toilets:
- in the men's and women's toilets on the Lower Ground Floor, near the cloakroom
- in the women's toilets near Reader Registration on the Upper Ground Floor
- in the men's and women's toilets in the Terrace Café on the First Floor
- in the men's and women's toilets in the Knowledge Centre.
Accessible toilets can be found on all floors. The nearest Changing Places toilet is at King's Cross station.
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