“Empathy is something we need every day, not just when a friend or family member is sad.” (Manchester school pupil)
From the 2nd – 12th June, Manchester Libraries will be joining the Empathy Day Festival – a 10 day programme of events and activities inspiring children to learn about empathy, develop key empathy skills and put them into action.
The nationwide festival, culminating in Empathy Day itself on 12th June, is led by Empathy Lab and celebrates the vital role that books can play in nurturing empathy in young people.
How we’re supporting local schools
Across the ten days, Manchester schools will participate in a range of empathy-boosting events including:
- An online author session with Rashmi Sirdeshpande, who will discuss her book We’ve Got This!: Six Steps to Build your Empathy Superpower.
- A live session with Catherine Bruton whose latest book Bird Boy is featured in the 2025 Read for Empathy Collection.
- Workshops with the Anne Frank Trust.
- Themed craft activities based on books in the 2025 Read for Empathy Collection.
Empathy Library Storytimes
Our regular library storytimes for Under 5’s will highlight the festival by reading Empathy Collection picture book Best of All by Smriti Halls and Chaaya Prabhat:
“A wonderful celebration of the heritage, family stories and life experiences that make every child special.”
Ask in your local library about when the storytimes are happening.
Empathy library craft sessions
Why not join in with one of these free great craft sessions which are suitable for children and families (no pre-booking required):
Wednesday 4 June
3.30-4.30pm Hulme High St Library
3.30-4.30pm Longsight Library
Thursday 5 June
3.30-4.30pm Arcadia Library
3.30-4.30pm Moss Side Powerhouse Library
Book Collections
The brilliant books in the Read for Empathy collections for ages 4–16 are available to borrow from Manchester Libraries. These have been chosen by experts as books that help young people learn more about empathy and put it into action.
You can see the full book lists here.
