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Celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh at the British Library

Last week, we celebrated 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh and of the remarkable legacy of AA Milne in the company of some of the country’s best-loved children’s authors, writers and friends of the Royal Literary Fund, in an event held at the British Library.

A cake fit for a centenary celebration, created by The Tattooed Bakers. © Fernando Manoso.

Master of Ceremonies Gyles Brandreth, CEO Edward Kemp and RLF beneficiary and author Cerrie Burnell led the speeches in honour of AA Milne, whose bequest to the RLF has raised more than £91 million for our grants, education, and outreach programmes.

Gyles Brandreth, Master of Ceremonies for our Winnie-the-Pooh 100 event at the British Library. © Fernando Manoso.

We were also treated to a very special reading of Winnie-the-Pooh story Eeyore Has A Birthday And Gets Two Presents which saw broadcaster and author Alan Titchmarsh play Eeyore, alongside How To Train Your Dragon writer Cressida Cowell as Winnie-the-Pooh, children’s author Jane Riordan as Piglet, and biographer and former RLF Trustee Richard Holmes as Owl.

RLF CEO Edward Kemp, Gyles Brandreth, Alan Titchmarsh, Cerrie Burnell, Cressida Cowell and Jane Riordan rehearsing. © Fernando Manoso.

RLF Trustee and poet Andrew McMillan read a beautiful poem, ‘lines for a centenary’, commissioned by the RLF in celebration of 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Poet Andrew McMillan reads ‘lines for a centenary’. © Fernando Manoso.

Guests including Margaret Busby, Laura Dockrill, Jeremy Dyson, David Eldridge, Howard Jacobson, Hanif Kureishi, Hannah Lowe, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Liz Pichon, Katherine Rundell, Monique Roffey, Francesca Simon, Robin Stevens and Katherine Webber Tsang joined us in the British Library, which is also home to the RLF’s archive.

Margaret Busby, Hannah Lowe, Monique Roffey and Roopa Farooki.

It was a wonderful event, and we thank everyone who joined us to celebrate 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh, the power of stories, and the lasting impact of Milne’s generosity.

(l-r) Katherine Rundell, Laura Dockrill, Francesca Simon and Liz Pichon © Fernando Manoso.

Main image shows (l-r) RLF CEO Edward Kemp, Richard Holmes, Cerrie Burnell, Gyles Brandreth, Jane Riordan, Alan Titchmarsh and Cressida Cowell with the Winnie-the-Pooh 100 cake. Photography © Fernando Manoso.

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