School children sitting on the floor talking and writing at a children's Book Festival event.

Big DoG Schools Tour 2023

27 November - 1 December

We're going on tour!

Big DoG is hitting the road again this November, bringing authors and storytellers to schools across the region.

About the tour

We deliver sessions to schools across the region, from Gretna to Stranraer. This year we welcomed Sarah Coyle with her Pick-a-Story session, award-winning author Eve Wersocki-Morris and author and illustrator Holly Sterling. We offer sessions to nursery, P1-P4 and P5-P7.

Our Mission

According to research from the department of education, reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income.

According to another report from the UK Social Mobility Commission, one in four primary pupils in Dumfries and Galloway are below the national average of expected reading and writing levels. With our education tour, we hope to help fill this gap by sharing the power of story and inspiring the next generation of readers.

Books are for everyone.

The Schools Tour is especially important in a wide-reaching region with low social mobility. Due to distance and monetary constraints, many children are unable to attend our Wigtown and Dumfries events. The Schools Tour brings book festival events to their doorstep.

Be the first to hear when applications open each year by signing up to our education mailing list below.

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The 2023 Big DoG Schools Tour is supported by the Cairndale Hotel and the Gretna Hall Hotel.

If you are a business owner and would be interested in sponsoring the Big DoG Schools' Tour, please contact Amy Johnston Stewart at [email protected]