'The new master of books for children' The Times
Hello! My name is Piers Torday, and I write for children: novels, short stories and plays for all the family.
Find out my latest news, learn to write your own book or your first play, or invite me for a school visit.
Inside, you’ll also find plenty of trailers and more info on me and my books for school projects. Drop me a line with your questions, or sign up to my mailing list below for updates and giveaways…
"Perhaps the greatest gift is reading itself."
A beautiful celebration of the joy of reading from bestselling children’s author Piers Torday.
Join Girl, her loyal companion Dog, and new arrival Baby Brother on a magical journey to discover books. Together, they explore the many joys of reading: for happiness, adventure, empathy and even future success. From the quiet magic of libraries to the warmth of sharing stories at home, their world, reflections, adventures and questions celebrate the beauty of a childhood shaped by books.
But when the world feels full of distractions and the magic of books starts to fade, the arrival of the Story Owl reminds them – and us all – of the extraordinary power of reading . . .
Bestselling and award-winning author Piers Torday combines lyrical storytelling with real insights into the benefits of reading. Beautifully brought to life with Tim Smart’s illustrations, this is a heartfelt celebration for readers of all ages.
A truly special gift for young readers, to remind us all why reading is magic.
LATEST PLAY
NEWS
October 22, 2026
BOOKS ACCORDING TO DOG AND OWL, my love letter to reading – for the National Year of Reading 2026, with stunning illustrations by Tim Smart, is out today, published by Hachette Children’s Group. It te…
To book me for a school, library, bookshop or festival visit, please head to my Contact page.
LATEST BOOK
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You can watch my Last Wild video masterclasses and sign up for classroom resources at Authorfy
There are also some excellent free classroom resources for “The Last Wild” provided by Sustainable Learning
Teachers could sign up to CLPE’s excellent Power of Reading scheme and get a whole teaching sequence based on “The Last Wild”.
And you can download activity sheets for Midnight Treasure here!