Author Hannah Gold celebrates Word Book Day 2026 at King’s

05 March 2026 - ‘The Last Bear’ author celebrates the joy of reading

To mark World Book Day on 5 March 2026, the charity Spread a Smile hosted a special visit at King’s College Hospital with bestselling children’s author, Hannah Gold.

Spread a Smile works in partnership with the Play Team at King’s College Hospital, entertaining paediatric inpatients to bring joy and moments of respite. The charity recently introduced a library at King’s, providing families and young patients with easy access to a range of books suitable for all ages and abilities.

Hannah Gold, multi award-winning author of ‘The Last Bear’ and ‘The Lost Whale,’ took time to read an excerpt from her World Book Day book, ‘Bear Rescue’ with families in paediatric wards at King’s, and met with ward staff and play teams, along with children receiving treatment.

Hannah Gold said: “Spending time with the children and families supported by Spread a Smile this World Book Day means more to me than I can properly put into words. Books have always been a source of comfort, imagination and hope in my own life, and to be able to share that love, even in a small way, feels incredibly special. It is a real privilege to sit with these children, to read together, to listen and to simply be present. I feel very humbled to be invited into their world, and I hope the stories we share bring a little light and joy to their day.”

Sarah Harris, Head of Nursing for Variety Children’s Hospital at King’s, said: “Every child should have the opportunity to take part in World Book Day and celebrate the magic of stories. It was wonderful to welcome Hannah to our wards and see her bring the joy of reading to young patients in hospital. The work of Spread a Smile make a huge difference to our patients, and their library gives parents and carers the opportunity to share a story with their child, whatever they might be going through.”

Lucy Jackson, Chief Executive of Spread a Smile, said, “Since launching the Spread a Smile Intensive Care Library Project for World Book Day in 2025, the initiative has gone from strength to strength, providing an invaluable reading resource for families with children on intensive care and high dependency units in NHS hospitals across the country.

“We have received wonderful feedback from families and also the hospital teams and it’s fantastic to know that our libraries are providing welcome opportunities for parents, carers and their children to find moments of distraction and engagement during what can be an extremely stressful and worrying time.

“We are extremely grateful to Hannah Gold for joining us on our visit to King’s College Hospital in the lead up to World Book Day this year as we celebrate the impact our libraries are making and the joy that reading brings to the families we support in hospital.”