Celebrating Creativity and Expression at the Habs Literacy Festival

On Friday 27 June, pupils from across our primary and secondary schools gathered at the historic Haberdashers’ Hall for our annual Habs Literacy Festival—a vibrant celebration of storytelling, spoken word and student voice.

The day brought together inspirational poets, writers, rappers and musicians, who led thought-provoking workshops designed to strengthen literacy skills and encourage pupils to express themselves with confidence and creativity. The festival also marked the culmination of a year of Trust-wide literacy events, including our Debate Mate competition, Spelling Bee, social action pitch competitions and a range of exciting reading challenges.

The festival opened with a warm welcome from Senior Director: School Improvement, Sarah Mitchell, and the compere team. Pupils were then treated to a dynamic joint performance from poet and rapper Christian Foley and international slam poet Zohab Zee Khan—whose talents extended to both the harmonica and didgeridoo, captivating the audience and setting a lively tone for the day.

This was followed by a powerful speech competition, with three speakers from our secondary schools delivering a speech written during the Jack Petchey “Speak Out” Challenge workshops earlier in the year. The speeches tackled a range of themes, and the winning entry—delivered with clarity and conviction—came from Sandhip, a student at Haberdashers' Knights Academy, who spoke passionately about the importance of public speaking and finding your voice.

 Pupils then took part in a series of inspiring workshops:

• Christian Foley – Poet and rapper working with primary pupils to explore rhythm and storytelling

• Laurie Bolger – Author and poet guiding younger pupils through playful poetry and self-expression

• Ashley Hickson-Lovence – Novelist and educator encouraging secondary students to write with purpose and perspective

• Zohab Zee Khan – International slam poet empowering students to express identity and challenge injustice through spoken word

During lunch in the Hall’s orangery and gardens, pupils took part in light-hearted literacy games led by sixth form helpers, fostering collaboration and connection across schools. They also cast their votes for their favourite speech from the morning’s competition.

The day closed with heartfelt thanks to our visiting workshop leaders, followed by a celebration of the many pupil contributions to our literacy competitions and activities throughout the year.

The Habs Literacy Festival continues to be a highlight of our Haberdashers' Advantage enrichment calendar—nurturing a love of language, celebrating creativity, and giving young people the tools and confidence to share their voice with the world.