The Reading Cafe is a podcast from Holy Cross High School that aims to get people talking about reading.

And it was the winner of the Best Children and Young Adults’ Podcast 2024 at the Independent Podcast Awards.

The podcast was launched three years ago and since then has given young people the opportunity to host online author interviews with a variety of popular writers.

This includes Robin Stevens (Murder Most Unladylike), Darren Shan (Zom-B), Mark Millar (Civil War/Kickass) and Tom Oldfield (Ultimate Football Heroes).

Local primary schools have also been involved with the podcast, with Reading Cafe transition events allowing primary seven pupils to interview award-winning writers including Aisha Bushby (A Pocketful of Stars/A Flash of Fireflies) and Elle McNicoll (A Kind of Spark). 

English teacher Peter Kelly was instrumental in creating the podcast.

He said: “I am so proud of The Reading Cafe podcast. It is a true group effort fuelled by the energy and enthusiasm of each individual staff and pupil in the team.

“We are delighted to have been recognised as Best Children and Young Adults’ Podcast by the Independent Podcast Awards, especially as we were the only school entry among hundreds of media companies.

“Looking forward, we will continue to develop the podcast to offer exciting opportunities for young people, as well as a brilliant listening experience for our growing audience of young readers.”

Chair of the council’s Education Resources Committee, Councillor Lynsey Hamilton, said: “Congratulations to all the team behind the podcast, it was a fantastic achievement to win this award.

“It was great to be able to visit the school and hear just how much hard work goes into each episode of the podcast.

“The popularity of podcasts has skyrocketed over recent years, and the young people are learning skills in an ever-expanding industry that can help them further their careers.”

The podcast can be accessed via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible and Podbean.