Gruffalo’s author joins fight to save libraries

Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson has penned a poem in protest at planned library closures.

The writer, who was named Children’s Laureate and awarded the MBE last year, said she had used libraries since she was a child and still visited her local branch to research and write her best-selling books.

Her poem, released yesterday to mark National Libraries Day, describes them as places to “meet your heroes, old and new, from William the Conqueror to Winnie the Pooh” and adds that “There’s something here for everyone, whatever your addiction.”

The 62-year-old writer, who was born in London but lives in Glasgow, said she wanted to make a serious point in a fun way.

She said: “It’s just more interesting to put the reasons I love libraries in that form rather than write an earnest article about it.

“If we lose libraries, we would lose readers and we would become a less literate country.

“People are kidding themselves if they think adults will downloads books to their Kindles if they haven’t got the reading bug as children.”

Campaigners say hundreds of libraries face closure, with some groups taking legal action in an attempt to save them.

The poem ends: “Yes, come to the library! Browse and borrow/ And help make sure it’ll still be here tomorrow.”