Photo Credit: Joe Watson

Yesterday, Portsmouth Creates launched In Our Words, a year-long celebration of all things reading and literature. Civic and community partners from across the city, including Pompey in the Community, will join forces to positively impact literacy levels and ignite a love of reading in Portsmouth. The exciting 12-month programme will celebrate Portsmouth’s literary heritage, inspire new readers, and celebrate authors from Portsmouth and beyond. A diverse range of events will take place across the city, designed to engage and inspire readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Pompey in the Community will support the programme as part of our Premier League Primary Stars initiative, harnessing the power of football to get children reading across the community.

The announcement was made at a special event at Fratton Park, home of Portsmouth F.C., on World Book Day, 6 March, where over 350 local school children were treated to a special visit from Sunday Times bestselling author, Dan Freedman, best known for the hugely popular series of Jamie Johnson football novels. At the event, Portsmouth Creates set out the ambitions and goals for the year and revealed some of the exciting events taking place in the coming months.

Portsmouth has an esteemed literary history. It is the birthplace of Charles Dickens and was also where Conan Doyle first created Sherlock Holmes. And yet Portsmouth is ranked 148th out of 152 local authorities when it comes to children meeting the expected reading standard at the end of primary school, and 147th out of 152 at the end of secondary school (Nov 2023 – Portsmouth.gov.uk/jsna).

With “In Our Words”, Portsmouth Creates is on a mission to ignite a life-long passion for reading in people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Research has shown that this can have a huge benefit in later life, with adults who read for just 30 minutes a week 20% more likely to report greater life satisfaction.

As well as enhancing local literacy levels, the programme aims to celebrate Portsmouth literary heritage, support and showcase local creatives, increase community engagement and put Portsmouth on the map as a literary destination.

Gemma Nichols, CEO of Portsmouth Creates said: “In Our Words is a new initiative and celebration for the people of Portsmouth, showcasing our stories and most of all our creativity. Portsmouth has a rich literary history, but it is our future storytellers, readers, and writers that can truly inspire us. This year-long concept is about supporting the growth of literacy levels locally whilst enabling our creative community to support and respond to some one of the city’s challenges. But most of all it is about ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, has the opportunity to discover the joy of reading accessibly. We want to make Portsmouth a place where words matter, stories thrive, and creativity is for everyone.”

Clare Martin MBE, CEO of Pompey in the Community said: “Welcoming young readers to Fratton Park for the launch of In Our Words is incredibly exciting. At Pompey in the Community, we believe that literacy and learning should be engaging and accessible to all. By combining the power of storytelling with the love of football, we can inspire the next generation of readers and writers in Portsmouth. We’re proud to be part of this initiative, helping to bring books, creativity, and opportunity to children across the city.”

Leader of the Portsmouth City Council, Councillor Steve Pitt said:  “I strongly believe that reading is the single greatest life skill anyone can possess. It can bring immense pleasure, feed the imagination and help develop inquisitive minds. Our city has many stories to tell and many famous story tellers with connections here and In Our Words is an amazing opportunity to both celebrate reading and the great writers who called Portsmouth home.”

The Programme

From literary events in football stadiums, to reading in restaurants and poetry in pubs, ‘In Our Words’ has something for everyone.

There is plenty on offer for Portsmouth’s younger residents over the coming months. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage will bring his poetry to life in a captivating live performance for local Year 10 children, whilst younger children can embark on a journey blending music and storytelling in A Portsmouth Musical Adventure.

For budding writers, Writing Herstories is a unique project that empowers women in Portsmouth to share their stories of activism, whilst the Portsmouth Writers Hub Relaunch offers a year-long programme of activities including talks, readings, and Q&A sessions with local authors.

The programme will also celebrate the diversity of Portsmouth’s communities, with programming including a month-long Caribbean Culture Literary Takeover at Natty’s Jamaican Jerk Chicken Restaurant, highlighting the rich cultural heritage of African and Caribbean writers; Climate Fresk, a workshop on climate literacy; and Queer Portsmouth, A celebration and exploration of identity in this diverse population and documenting the history of the LGBTQIA+ community on the island.

Further details to be announced in the coming months, along with further programming on the In Our Words section of the website 

 

Thank you to Portsmouth Creates Founding Partners, Arts Council England, Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth University and Victorious Festival – with special thanks to Joe Watson for photography. Special thanks to Pompey in the Community, Portsmouth Football Club, Dan Freedman, Portsmouth Library Services, and all the school pupils and staff for getting involved.   And finally a massive thank you to Stagecoach and South Western Railway for transporting our VIPs (the pupils from Portmouth Schools).