Mr Dilly Meets – Free Virtual Author Events for Primary Schools
Inspiring Reading, Writing, and Creativity in Classrooms Nationwide
Over half a million primary school children in more than 6,000 schools have already experienced the magic of Mr Dilly Meets — fun, free, and inspirational live virtual author visits beamed straight into classrooms across the UK.
These exciting online events bring the wonderful world of children’s books, authors, poets, and illustrators to life through lively chat, engaging read-alouds, draw-alongs, and more. Each live stream event celebrates creativity in a colourful, energetic way that encourages reading for pleasure, inspires curiosity, and supports literacy learning — with a huge burst of laughter and fun along the way.
All events stream via the Mr Dilly website, embedded via YouTube — no downloads, sign-ins, or special software required.
For over four years, Mr Dilly Meets has been an integral part of many schools’ reading and literacy programmes, making Mr Dilly Meets a perfect partner in the nationwide drive to encourage and celebrate reading through the National Year of Reading 2026 and beyond.
With a packed calendar of new events each term, Mr Dilly Meets continues to grow as one of the the UK’s leading free virtual author programme for schools.
Why Schools Love Mr Dilly Meets
FREE to join – accessible for all schools, no matter the budget
Live interaction with celebrated children’s authors, poets, and illustrators
Inspires reading for pleasure and supports creative writing in the classroom
Curriculum-linked – from literacy to cross-curricular themes like myths, STEM, and the environment
Flexible and easy to access – join live from your classroom with a single link
Memorable experiences – lively, funny, and packed with ideas children remember long after the session
Replay available – most events include replay access for flexible classroom use
🎥 Want to catch up on past Mr Dilly Meets? See the full archive on our Past Events page (updating - coming soon)— watch author live streams anytime, on demand.
Upcoming Mr Dilly Meets – Free, Fun & Inspirational Virtual Author Visits for Primary School
Laughs, Legends & Lost Treasures (Upper KS1–KS2)
Tuesday 24 March 2026 • 1:30pm GMT
Upper KS1–KS2 (ages 6–11) • FREE
Replay: available for 7 days after the live stream
Run time: approx. 1 hr 20 mins
Join Mr Dilly for a lively multi-author livestream celebrating stories in all their forms — funny, mysterious, adventurous and packed with brilliant facts.
Designed to show pupils that reading isn’t just one thing, this event brings together graphic novels, children’s classics, hilarious mysteries and fascinating real-life stories — helping every child find something that sparks their curiosity.
From Tudor mischief and stolen toenails, to lost treasures and unsolved mysteries, to rogue robots, mammoths and otters, there’s something here to hook reluctant readers and confident book lovers alike.
Perfect for comic fans, mystery lovers, history explorers and adventure seekers.
Featuring live authors
🕵️ Kaz Penney – Will Shakespeare Mysteries: The Stinky Stolen Toenails
A hilariously mischievous Tudor mystery starring a young William Shakespeare.
🧩 Tom Adams – Lost 101: People, Places, and Things Lost… Forever?
A dazzling non-fiction journey through history’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
🤖 Jack Noel – Dadbot 2: Rise of the Badbots!
A riotously funny graphic novel full of robots, puns and comic-style chaos.
🐭 Claire Powell – Marty Moose: The Great Stamp-ede
A laugh-out-loud animal adventure featuring races, golden eggs and ferret bandits.
🦣 S.J. Poyton – Mammoth Rider
An epic Arctic adventure about friendship, climate change and protecting a rare white mammoth.
🦦 M.G. Leonard – Portly the Otter
A tmagicalm sequel to children’s classic The Wind in the Willows.
What to expect
Live author chats hosted by Mr Dilly
Short readings and “story hooks” from each book
Draw Along with Jack Noel
Mini author panels sharing the inspiration behind their stories
The Laughs, Legends and Lost Treasures Quiz — join along in your classroom with the authors
A celebration of humour, history, adventure and imagination
How to watch
Register your class/school using the link below and you’ll be taken to the Eventbrite booking page.
Once registered, you’ll receive your viewing link around 48 hours before the event.
The stream plays on the Mr Dilly website via an embedded YouTube player (please check your school firewall allows YouTube).
Why take part?
• Encourages reluctant readers through humour and visual storytelling
• Supports literacy, history and cross-curricular learning
• Showcases both fiction and non-fiction
• Inspires reading for pleasure across KS1 and KS2
• Replay access for flexible classroom use