THE arrival of spring will be celebrated with a special event in Bolton inspired by the bestselling book The Lost Words.

Bolton Library and Museum is staging a special free event on Saturday.

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, is a collection of illustrated ‘spells’ that conjure up the magic and strangeness of nature.

Presented by Bolton Libraries and award-winning event producers Wild Rumpus, Bolton’s Lost Words will feature a live reading of the book as well as music, performance, and interactive installations, inviting families to lose themselves in the wonder of literature and the natural world.

One of the nation’s best-loved actors, Lancashire’s very own Julie Hesmondhalgh, known for her role as Hayley Cropper in ITV’s Coronation Street, will perform a reading of The Lost Words in Central Library at 2pm.

She will enchant visitors with spell-like poems about animals and plants, including otters, kingfishers and dandelions.

The Lost Words was written in response to the lack of use of everyday nature words - among them ‘acorn’, ‘bluebell’ and ‘wren’.

Author Robert said: "We’ve got more than 50 per cent of species in decline. And names, good names, well used, can help us see and they help us care. We find it hard to love what we cannot give a name to. And what we do not love we will not save."

There will also be interactive activities for families to get involved in. A nature themed marble run will wind its way through Central Library for visitors to roll down natural treasures such as acorns, pine cones, conkers and pebbles, and families can take part in a huge game of hide and seek to find the animal characters from The Lost Words.

Giant swallow puppets will swoop through the air in a performance from Bird in the Hand Theatre.

The library will be filled with the soothing sounds of cellist Sarah Smout, who will perform her nature-inspired music throughout the day.

Rowan Cannon, co-director at event producers Wild Rumpus, said:“I’m so excited to hear The Lost Words come to life in Central Library, read by the wonderful Julie Hesmondhalgh. The book was written to be read aloud in order to summon back these words and creatures into our hearts. It’s going to be such an inspiring day full of nature and literature.”

The event organisers are asking local people, groups and businesses to host their own readings of the book to summon up the power of nature all across Bolton during March. This could be a public event in a church hall or youth centre, or a private reading for friends and family at home. To submit your own event visit https://wildrumpus.org.uk/boltons-lost-words-project/

Bolton Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Hilary Fairclough said: “We want everyone in Bolton to get involved by coming along to hear Julie Hesmondhalgh read The Lost Words in Central Library, and then host their own reading of this wonderful book. It could be a small reading in your own home for your friends, or you could open up your local hall for a larger reading with your local community. You could even host one in your favourite pub!

"The whole of Bolton will be full of Robert Macfarlane’s beautiful spells about nature. We are grateful to Arts Council England and the National Lottery Fund for supporting this project.”

There will be even more to see as Central Library, Breightmet Library, Farnworth Library, High Street Library, and Horwich Library are set to host an installation in the run up to the event.

Visitors can dial a number on a vintage telephone and hear the voices of musician Guy Garvey, poet Benjamin Zephaniah, radio DJ Edith Bowman, and singer and broadcaster Cerys Matthews reading excerpts from the book.