A children’s author brought her own adventure to a railway station and shared stories with young travellers.
Nat Harrison visited Westbury Station on Monday for a special book reading as part of Great Western Railway’s (GWR) Adventures in Reading campaign, designed to promote literacy and keep children reading during the summer holidays.
Ms Harrison read from her debut novel, The Girl Who Raced the World, before signing copies and donating books to GWR’s network of Little Libraries.
She said: "I absolutely love GWR’s Adventures in reading campaign – what a cracking idea! The Girl Who Raced the World is a perfect fit for the Little Libraries, with so many exciting journeys on trains around the world.
"It was wonderful to visit Westbury and share the story with young readers – hopefully inspiring a few more adventures of their own, whether on the page or on a train!"
The campaign was launched earlier this month by children’s author Michael Rosen and includes 10 Little Libraries at stations across the GWR network.
It comes in response to research commissioned by GWR, which found that one in five parents notice a decline in their children’s reading levels and confidence during the summer break.
The Little Libraries operate on a give-and-take basis and are stocked with a wide range of books for all ages.
Families setting off on summer trips are encouraged to borrow a book for their journey, swap a favourite, or leave a finished story for another passenger to enjoy.
GWR has also installed Short-Story Dispensers at five stations, offering children quick tales from The Line to Legend Land, a collection of myths and legends from the South West and Wales.
Dan Panes, head of external communications at GWR, said: "Nat’s book is a brilliant fit for our Little Libraries, and it’s lovely to see her passion for books, adventure and the railway come together.
"We hope her visit inspires even more young passengers to pick up a book and get lost in a story on their next train journey."
The Girl Who Raced the World is published by Piccadilly Press and was released last year.
It has been shortlisted for the Stanford’s Children’s Book of the Year, longlisted for the Branford Boase Award, and named one of Amazon Editors’ Best Books of 2025.
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