Reading Festival Brings Stories and Smiles Across Sint Maarten
The 2nd Reading Festival – Sint Maarten Edition turned the University of St. Martin campus into a joyful space of creativity and imagination on September 26 and 27, 2025. The two-day event, organised by Biblionef Netherlands together with the Help Our Children Foundation, 721 Kids Foundation, St. Maarten Library, University of St. Martin, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS), welcomed more than 1,000 children, teachers, and families as part of Sint Maarten’s Literacy Month celebrations.
The festival was filled with storytelling, performances, and activities that encouraged children to see books in new and exciting ways. Throughout the week, authors and storytellers visited schools across the island, bringing stories directly into classrooms and inspiring young readers to act out tales, discuss books, and create their own endings.
This year’s lineup featured storytellers Clara Reyes, Linda Moise, and Crisen Schorea, as well as authors Greta Rodney, Ralph Cantave, Cassilda Thomas Carty, Collin Bootman, and Jörgen Gario. Working closely with local authors allowed us to highlight Caribbean voices and promote regional literature. It was inspiring to see how much talent exists in the Caribbean and to give children the opportunity to meet these authors and take them as role models.
A key highlight was the continued collaboration with students from the University of St. Martin’s teacher training program, who joined the festival for the second consecutive year. Their enthusiasm and creativity gave us confidence that these future teachers will continue spreading the joy of reading among their students. Students from the CAFY program also contributed significantly, supporting the teacher trainees and helping to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere on campus.
In the weeks surrounding the festival, schools across Sint Maarten joined in with storytelling sessions and creative reading activities, supported by teachers and volunteers. On festival Friday, hundreds of children gathered at the university for a morning of theatre, storytelling, and fun literacy games. Saturday’s program opened to the public, with author readings, workshops, games, and family-friendly activities.
The festival also introduced the AI Story Zone, where older students explored how digital tools can be used for creative writing and storytelling. More than 2,600 books were donated to children and school libraries, ensuring that every participant could take a story home to share.
Parents and teachers expressed heartfelt appreciation: “My children have always loved books, but this event took it to a whole new level. They came home not just talking about what they read, but about the story they created.”
To make sure the excitement continues throughout the year, Biblionef Netherlands compiled all materials and activities into Reading Activity Kits, now available through the St. Maarten Library for schools and daycare centres to borrow.
