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Storytelling Sessions for the Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Hunt at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens

Storytelling Magic Comes to Hillsborough Castle this Summer with an exciting author line-up at the Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Hunt trail

This summer, the air is ‘humming’ with ‘hunny’ as a new literary experience awaits in the 100-acre gardens of Hillsborough Castle, with live storytelling sessions from ten celebrated children’s authors set to transform the grounds into a storybook wonderland during the Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Hunt trail.

Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that cares for Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, in collaboration with Disney and the Royal Literary Fund (RLF), will introduce a series of magical weekly storytelling sessions hosted by authors from across the UK and Ireland. 

From 28th June to 31st August, a new author will bring the world of the Hundred Acre Wood to life each week in the enchanting setting of Owl’s Book Corner. Reading classic Winnie the Pooh tales and excerpts from their own children’s books, each author will captivate, inspire and delight avid readers and ramblers of all ages. 

Among the featured writers are Jane Riordan, author of Winnie the Pooh Meets The King and Once There Was a Bear, and authors from the RLF including Sheena Wilkinson, Amanda Swift, Jasbinder Bilan, Sophie Kirtley, Jim Beckett, Anna Wilson, Teresa Heapy, Maisie Chan, and Michael Mann. Each author will bring their unique storytelling magic to the gardens, creating a memorable experience for the whole family to enjoy.

Little explorers and lifelong fans alike can set off on a delightful adventure to track down ten hidden ‘hunny’ pots tucked away in the lush greenery of the Castle gardens - because in classic Pooh Bear style, he’s forgotten where they all are and needs help to find them! 

The Winnie the Pooh trail will start by collecting a map, pencil and Pooh stick from the entrance and continue to be filled with charming moments along the way, inspired by Winnie the Pooh and friends, from Piglet’s Cosy Burrow to Rabbit’s Garden.

After the trail, adventurers can delight in discovering and purchasing Winnie the Pooh treasures - from timeless storybooks and soothing English teas to cuddly soft toys that bring the magic of the Hundred Acre Wood to life.

With Kids Go Free to the gardens all summer long and daily storytelling led by the Castle’s Public Engagement Assistants continuing alongside the author sessions, visitors can bask in fresh air and timeless tales, with plenty of space to roam, read and play at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. 

Beloved by generations, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh publishing collection offers a charming range of storybooks, activity titles, and audio editions that celebrate friendship, curiosity, and the timeless magic of the Hundred Acre Wood – and continues to inspire warmth, imagination, and a deep emotional connection among fans of all ages.

For further information, please see www.hrp.org.uk

© Disney

About the Authors:

Jane Riordan originally trained to be a primary school teacher, but her love of children’s books led to a career in publishing. Since then, she has written and edited countless books for children, most notably Winnie-the-Pooh Tales from the Forest, Winnie-the-Pooh Easter Hunt, Winnie-the-Pooh Meets the King and Winnie-the-Pooh Once There Was a Bear.

Sheena Wilkinson is an award-winning novelist for children and adults, including historical fiction. Described in The Irish Times as ‘one of our foremost writers for young people’, she has won many awards for her work, including the Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year Award for Grounded (2012).

Amanda Swift writes children’s fiction, specialising in comedy. Her novels for nine-to-twelve-year-olds, The Boys’ Club, Big Bones and Anna/Bella are all contemporary coming-of-age comedy dramas, while the series for five-to-eight-year-olds she co-wrote with Jennifer Gray, Guinea Pigs Online and Puppies Online, are comedy adventures with an underlying message about the pros and cons of growing up in the internet age.

Jasbinder Bilan is an award-winning children’s author of numerous magical realist middle-grade novels. Her debut Asha and the Spirit Bird (Chickenhouse, 2019) won the Times Chickenhouse Prize 2017, was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2019 and went on to win the Costa Children’s Book Award 2019. Her writing is roots inspire her writing in India and explores themes of friendship, family and hope.

Sophie Kirtley is a Northern Irish prizewinning poet and children’s author from Belfast. Her writing is adventurous, heartfelt and lyrical, drawing inspiration from the natural world and exploring the importance of human connection. Her bestselling debut novel, The Wild Way Home (Bloomsbury, 2020), is an exciting adventure about courage and family, set partly in the Stone Age; it was Waterstones Children’s book of the month and was shortlisted for the Joan Aiken Future Classics prize. Also an acclaimed poet, Sophie Kirtley’s work has been published in journals and anthologies and selected for National Poetry Day.

Jim Beckett is a writer specialising in children’s fiction. Buzz Sausage Wolf (Hachette, 2025) is a funny and heartwarming series for younger readers about a little dog’s endearing struggles to make sense of the world. The Caravan at the Edge of Doom and Foul Prophecy (HarperCollins, 2021, 2022) are comic fantasies for 8+ about an epic rescue mission into the Land of the Dead through a caravan toilet. A former teacher and comedian, Jim regularly visits schools, inspiring staff and pupils with his entertaining assemblies and workshops.

Anna Wilson is a children’s author and memoirist. Her books have been shortlisted for awards including the Wainwright Nature Prize and the ALCS Educational Writers' Award. Her picture books tackle big themes such as separation and bereavement. Her memoir A Place for Everything (2020, HarperCollins) was featured on BBC Woman's Hour. Her latest non-fiction book for children, A Story of the Seasons (2024, Nosy Crow and the National Trust), explores seven different habitats throughout the year.

Teresa Heapy is an award-winning children’s book author. She has written nine picture books, including Loved to Bits (about a battered teddy bear who was literally loved to bits), The Marvellous Moon Map (about friendship and paper boats) and the Very Little series (featuring brave, determined toddler fairy tale heroines). Very Little Red Riding Hood won Best Picture Book in the Oxfordshire Book Awards and the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards. Her picture books have been translated into thirteen languages. She has also written over 80 educational fiction and non-fiction titles.

Maisie Chan is an award-winning children’s author. Her debut Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths (Piccadilly Press) won the Branford Boase award and Jhalak Prize in 2022. It was also shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards. Waterstones Children's Laureate called her new novel, Nate Yu's Blast from the Past - 'A firecracker of a book!'. She also writes the younger fiction Tiger Warrior series and has her first picture book coming out in 2026.

Michael Mann is an award-winning children’s author of magical middle-grade novels. His debut Ghostcloud (Hachette, 2021) was a Waterstones’ best children’s book of 2021 and won the East Sussex and the Salford children’s book awards. His writing is inspired by his mixed Indian British heritage and explores themes of duality, courage and hope. The sequel Nightspark (Hachette, 2023) concludes the duology. He also has a story in the Faber Book of Bedtime Stories (2022).

Notes to editors:

For further information or images, please contact Amber Choudhary in the HRP Press Office: Amber.Choudhary@hrp.org.uk  // 020 3166 6166

Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Hunt

28th June – 31st August; included in general admission and Kids Go Free. 

Author Schedule:

Sheena Wilkinson – Saturday 28 June and Monday 14 July

Jane Riordan – Tuesday 1 July

Amanda Swift – Saturday 5 July

Jasbinder Bilan – Saturday 19 July

Sophie Kirtley – Saturday 26 July

Jim Beckett – Saturday 2 August

Anna Wilson – Saturday 9 August

Teresa Heapy – Saturday 16 August

Maisie Chan – Saturday 23 August

Michael Mann – Saturday 30 August

Saturday Storytelling Session (Authors):

11:00 – 11:30

12:00 – 12:30

13:30 – 14:00

14:30 – 15:00

Daily Storytelling Sessions (Public Engagement Team):

11:00 – 11:30

12:00 – 12:30

13:30 – 14:00

14:30 – 15:00

15:30 – 16:00

Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that loves and looks after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. The palaces are the setting for the stories that shape us all, and we’re bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them. We want everyone to find themselves in the spaces and stories we share.

Registered charity number 1068852. For more information visit www.hrp.org.uk

The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) helps writers in financial need and annually delivers over £5 million in grants, education, community, and workplace programmes. We offer a range of grants to professional writers needing short-term to long-term financial support, whether because they are in debt, facing reduced income, or unable to write due to a change in circumstances, sickness or disability.

Since 1999, our RLF Education programmes have created earning opportunities for over 750 professional writers at over 100 universities and institutions. Most begin as RLF Fellows, teaching students writing skills across the UK, from Aberdeen to Aberystwyth, Belfast to Brighton. Many writers continue to work with the RLF by creating local reading round groups, leading expressive writing sessions, and helping develop writing skills in the workplace.

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