British Library asks nation's children to write miniature books in lockdown

Axel Scheffler and Jacqueline Wilson are adding micro-works to scheme asking youngsters to follow the Brontës’ lead and write their own tiny tales

Two hundred years ago, the Brontë children stitched together brown paper sugar packets, strips of wallpaper and old writing paper to create postage stamp-sized books for their toy soldiers to read. Today the British Library is calling on the nation’s children to follow in their footsteps and write their own small books, which will form part of an online “National Library of Miniature Books for the toy world”.

Inspired by the library’s collection of “miniature gems”, which ranges from the 600 miniature volumes in Queen Mary’s dolls’ house to publisher John Marshall’s matchbox-sized Infant’s Library, the project is backed by authors and illustrators including Axel Scheffler and Jacqueline Wilson, each of whom has created their own book for the library.