20+ autumn arts & wellbeing, Halloween and Diwali events to make visitors forget the nights are drawing in at the home of the UK’s largest Shared Reading charity in Calderstones Park.
This autumn The Reader is hosting a new 1920s-themed Murder in the Mansion murder mystery evening, More Poems That Built The Reader with founder Jane Davis and a first Halloween event for babies.
From Heritage Open Day to family-friendly Halloween, Diwali and half term activities, including pumpkin carving, a Monster’s Ball and live children’s theatre, there are more than 20 arts and wellbeing events taking place at the grade II listed restored Mansion House and Storybarn in Liverpool’s Calderstones Park from 7 September to 22 November.
Laura McCarten, Head of Events and Commercial at The Reader, said:
“Following the launch of our new open-air cinema this summer we wanted to host something new and different for our autumn season – so we are collaborating with Murder 57 to showcase our very first Murder at the Mansion.
“We have always felt the neo-classical Mansion House cloaked in darkness after hours is the perfect atmospheric setting for an interactive event like this. It’s a great way for people to enjoy the heritage of this historic period building, while enjoying entertainment and good food.
“From the moment guests walk through the door, they will be swept up into an immersive theatrical experience by an experienced cast of talented professional actors to piece together clues in an original and deadly story to reveal the culprit’s identity. Murder mysteries have always been incredibly popular, from Agatha Christie’s best-selling detective stories to the BBC’s The Traitors.”
On Sunday 7 September the charity’s founder and former director Jane Davis MBE kicks off the Autumn 2025 programme with her third Masterclass: Poems that Built The Reader, following the success of two previous events.
The retired Liverpool University literature lecturer has hand-picked some of her favourite works by poets including George Herbert, Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Denise Levertov. All reading material will be provided on the day and there is no need to prepare anything in advance. Tickets include lunch (VE), tea and coffee.
A 1920s-themed immersive theatrical murder mystery night – Murder at the Mansion – on Saturday 22 November, features professional actors with dining from 7.30pm- 10.30pm. It will be led by St Albans-based Murder 57, one of the UK’s leading murder mystery entertainment company with more than 20 years’ experience. Guess the murderer and motive to solve this Agatha Christie style whodunnit to be the evening’s Super Sleuth; while tucking into a delicious three-course dinner created by the charity’s in-house chefs.
And award-winning author Mahesh Rao ((The Smoke is Rising, One Point Two Billion) will be in conversation at The Reader Bookshop on 6 October at 6.30pm to discuss his acclaimed 2024 novel Half Light (Pushkin Press). Set on the brink of India’s ruling to decriminalise homosexuality, this is a tender, richly atmospheric and elegantly wry story of outlawed desire and the hope of a life beyond concealment.
The author who grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, has worked as a lawyer, academic researcher and bookseller. His debut novel, The Smoke Is Rising, won the Tata First Book Award for fiction and was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, the Crossword Book Award and the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize. All ticket holders will receive a £5 book token on the evening.
New baby-friendly events
A first for the spooky season is Baby’s First Halloween on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 October. New parents and carers can celebrate the occasion with sweetly spooky stories, gigglishly ghoulish rhymes, and craft a special canvas with their baby’s footprint to take home.
Brand new drop-in sessions for parents and carers with babies 12 months and under will be starting in the Storybarn this autumn. Here they can take part in the charity’s signature rhyme times and stories, along with dedicated time for parents to connect and enjoy Shared Reading. Drop-in sessions cost £3.50 per adult, plus free parking, space to store prams, easy access to baby change facilities, comfy spots for feeding and two on-site cafes on site for after the session.
Family-friendly autumnal events: from Diwali to Halloween and Bedtime Stories
Children of all ages are encouraged to dig out their favourite PJs for Friday evening Bookshop Bedtime Stories on 26 September, 24 October and 21 November from 5.30pm-7pm in The Reader Bookshop. All children will receive a complimentary babycino. For an extra easy evening out, reserve an early-bird table and pre-order tea in the Bookshop Café for 4.30pm before the stories begin.
Families can celebrate the Indian festival of lights with a very special Diwali at the Storybarn session in collaboration with Milap on Saturday 18 October and Sunday 19 October. There will be time to explore the magical Storybarn, and share Diwali-inspired stories and crafts.
During October half term children and their grown-ups can enjoy Halloween at the Storybarn, Monday 27 – Friday 31 October, 10am and 1pm, where they can show off their frightful fancy dress (optional), play ghostly games, and create a spooktacular craft to take home. By popular demand Pumpkin Carving is back on 26 and 27 October! Session begins with a spooktacular reading of a pumpkin picking story, before heading outside to pick a pumpkin to carve and take home.
Also returning for a second year is The Reader’s family-friendly Monster’s Ball in the Mansion House at Calderstones Park on Friday 31 October, 11am and 2pm. Do the monster mash with a live DJ, play ghostly games and enjoy frightful fun. Storyhunters will be sharing terrific tales when children need a boogie break in a quieter space. Pre-order pizza, hot dogs and ice cream.
Liverpool’s non-profit Altru Drama will be staging a retelling of classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood on Thursday 30 October at 11am and 2.30pm. This lovely performance is presented by two actors and packed with live, original music and songs, storytelling, fun and audience interaction.
Shared Reading for all
Works by Emily Brontë, James Baldwin along with Autumnal Stories and Poems will be the focus of three Wellbeing Workshops between Sunday 20 September and Saturday 16 November. They each begin with a relaxed Shared Reading session led by an experienced practitioner before an autumnal walk in Calderstones Park, a warming drink back at the Mansion House and the opportunity to build a poetry collection to take home.
In the run up to Halloween a Deep Read will be taking place over three Saturday mornings to explore We Have Always Lived in the Castle – the final novel by American gothic horror writer Shirley Jackson, who died 60 years ago. Shared Reading sessions of this haunting, unsettling and masterful story will take place on 11, 18, 25 October – 10am-12pm.
Two events will be running in the Mansion House on Sunday 26 October, as part of Indika 2025, one of Europe’s largest festivals of Indian classical arts taking place biennially in Liverpool from Friday 17 October – Friday 31 October run by city-based cultural organisation Milap.
There will be an immersive 90-minute Yoga & Live Sitar session at 10.30am and 12pm combining movement, breath, and sound with yoga practitioner with Sian Griffin and sitar artist Jonathan Mayer. And free Shared Reading sessions will be exploring the words of celebrated poets and authors with connections to India, including Rohinton Mistry, Arundhathi Subramaniam, and Debjani Chatterjee, at 11am and 1pm in theBlue Reading Room.
The Reader’s very first Gothic Literature Evening on Saturday 1 November, 5pm-8.30pm is set to be a special evening of vamps, villains and a veritable feast. Expect the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Emily Bronte. It is a chance to meet fellow gothic enthusiasts, get deep in discussion and enjoy a gothic supper by candlelight. See the menu here (LINK). No prior reading or experience needed, all will be made to feel welcome and there is no pressure to read aloud
Open days
This Heritage Open Day on Sunday 21 September, 11am-5pm, the charity is celebrating the beautiful Georgian Mansion House – built in 1828 as a family property and later a former council office – with a day of live music, outdoor performances from local community groups, crafts, poetry and stories at the Library on the Lawn, a BBQ, fully stocked bar and ice cream from independent producers Cheshire Farm.
The Grade II listed Mansion House is also one of Liverpool’s most iconic and unique wedding venues in the heart of Calderstones Park. Couples looking to tie the knot are invited to attend The Reader’s Wedding Open Day on Sunday 19 October, 11am-3pm. They can tour the house and lovingly restored fairy-lit Theatre Room with its sprung floor and full bifold doors which open onto a private garden for wedding guests to enjoy and meet the charity’s team of dedicated events planners, talented onsite chefs, and selected suppliers.
Catering options range from a relaxed barbecue and sweet treats from the Reader’s Ice Cream Parlour to elegant formal dining, and the flexibility to host an intimate gathering or a party of up to 150 guests. With a wealth of stunning photo locations around the building, and Calderstones Park, it is a must-see venue, and all events help support The Reader to deliver its charitable work transforming lives through literature.
Tickets for the autumn programme go on sale for Calderstones members on Tuesday 24 July and general sale on Monday 28 July. Visitors will be able to experience the autumnal seasonal changes around them in the glorious, wooded setting while visiting the home of the UK’s biggest Shared Reading charity, a warm and welcoming community celebrating stories, creativity and nature.
The full Autumn 2025 season is available to book at thereaderorg.uk/autumn2025. For further information about The Reader and Shared Reading groups visit here.
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