On Saturday, 26 September 2026, the National Library of Portugal (BNP) opened its doors to children, families and the wider community for the fifth edition of the Young Readers’ Festival (Festa dos Pequenos Leitores), a special day dedicated to books, reading, discovery and the shared enjoyment of cultural heritage.
This year’s theme, “BNP: A Sea of Books”, invited visitors to explore the vastness of the Library’s collections through the metaphor of the sea. Just as the ocean holds an extraordinary wealth of life, knowledge and discovery, the BNP’s collections encompass an immense universe of books, manuscripts, printed materials and other documentary treasures, accumulated over centuries. Both the sea and the written heritage it evokes are precious legacies that require care, protection and responsible stewardship, so that future generations may continue to discover, learn from and enjoy them.
The theme also offered an opportunity to reflect on the importance of protecting the marine environment and preserving the cultural heritage entrusted to the Library. In both cases, safeguarding this shared heritage is a collective responsibility, essential to ensuring its continuity and accessibility in the future.
The Young Readers’ Festival has become a special occasion in the BNP’s annual programme, allowing the National Library to reach beyond its usual readership and welcome people who may never have visited the institution before. This year, around 150 children took part in the activities, accompanied by their families, bringing the total number of people involved in the festival to more than 300. For many adults, accompanying their children to a festival designed for younger audiences becomes their first encounter with the National Library, opening the door to a place that might otherwise seem distant from their everyday lives.
The event is also a collective undertaking, involving numerous BNP departments and bringing together different areas of expertise, from collections and conservation to cultural programming and public engagement. This collaboration makes the festival much more than a series of activities hosted within the Library: it is a genuinely shared BNP initiative, reflecting the institution’s commitment to making its heritage accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences.
Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed a varied programme of activities inspired by the world of books and the sea. A book fair encouraged young readers to discover new stories and authors, while an exhibition brought the festival’s central theme to life. Concerts filled the Library with music, and a storytelling session invited children into imaginative worlds. Hands-on workshops introduced participants to Braille and the principles of book conservation, offering opportunities to explore accessibility, the material nature of books and the care required to preserve them.
By bringing together reading, music, creativity and heritage, the fifth edition of the Young Readers’ Festival reaffirmed the BNP’s role as a living cultural institution, open to the community and committed