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Gardners Books, the leading wholesaler of books based in Eastbourne, hosted several World Book Day £1 authors as it prepared to dispatch over two million World Book Day books.

During the visit, three of the charity’s £1 book authors – Rob Biddulph, author of Charlie McGrew and the Horse That He Drew, Louie Stowell, author of Loki: Tales of a Bad God and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé author of The Doomsday Date – discovered what happens behind-the-scenes ahead of their books hitting the shelves of participating booksellers, high street retailers and supermarkets across the UK on February 15 ahead of World Book Day on March 7.

The charity – whose aim is to help children discover a love of reading – has found that reading for pleasure is most powerful when children are given choice in what they read and this year’s World Book Day’s Read Your Way campaign calls on everyone to let go of pressure and expectations, giving children a choice to enjoy reading.

Rob Biddulph, author of Charlie McGrew and the Horse That He Drew, said: “Whenever I see one of my books on the shelf of a bookshop it's quite a surreal experience, but witnessing the volume and scale of operations needed to get Charlie McGrew and the Horse That He Drew into the hands of children for World Book Day was on another level. It really is very humbling.”

Gardners Books, the leading wholesaler of books based in Eastbourne, hosted several World Book Day £1 authors as it prepared to dispatch over two million World Book Day books. Picture: MHP Group

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé author of The Doomsday Date, added: “World Book Day was always my favourite day of the year when I was at school, so being chosen as one of the 15 World Book Day £1 authors is such an honour.

Eastbourne wholesaler hosts authors ahead of World Book Day celebrations