Carmarthenshire County Council’s libraries have been joining in the celebrations for this year’s World Book Day today (March 6).

The annual global event encourages reading and promotes the importance of literacy for all ages.

To celebrate the day, Mewn Cymeriad, a theatre company, brought storytelling to life with performances at Carmarthen and Ammanford libraries for local primary schools.

Pupils from Ysgol y Dderwen and Ysgol Gymraeg Rhydaman enjoyed retellings of the legendary Mabinogion characters.

At Llanelli and Carmarthen libraries, pupils from Ysgol yr Hendy, Dafen School, and Model School took part in ‘Stars of the Shelves’ workshops with authors Siôn Tomos Owen, Eloise Williams, and Dr Ffion Jones.

In partnership with the Books Council of Wales, this project helps pupils explore their creativity by learning about character creation through emotions, actions, and backstory. During the workshops, the authors shared their personal journeys of becoming writers, revealing what motivated them to pursue writing, and presented their collections of books.

As part of this year’s celebrations, Carmarthenshire’s libraries donated a total of 2,385 copies of both Welsh and English books to local schools, nurseries, and family centres. Primary aged children were also given the opportunity to receive a free book by registering with their local library.

Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism - Cllr Hazel Evans said: “World Book Day is a fantastic opportunity for us to inspire the next generation of readers and writers. It's a privilege to support our local schools through the libraries to make reading a fun and engaging experience for all ages.”