For 15 years, Lindsey Manwell has been at the heart of World Read Aloud Day™ with her vibrant illustrations. As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of WRAD, we’re thrilled to feature an exclusive interview with Lindsey exploring her creative purpose, favorite illustrations from the past 15 years, and the enduring power of art in encouraging a love for reading.
Lindsey, you’ve been with WRAD since the beginning! How did you get involved, and what drew you (pun intended) to your commitment to being WRAD’s illustrator over the last 15 years?
The timing was all very lucky. I got involved in 2010, after I graduated from art school. I was worried about looking for illustration work. I didn't feel ready, so I set out to see if I could get a job anywhere in the world of children's books. I reached out to a local non-profit, Bring me a Book Foundation, and it turned out that the founder was a huge champion of children's illustrators. We met and afterward she connected me with some of her friends just to see what would happen, including Pam Allyn. Pam was launching the first WRAD and asked if I could help. I was so excited! I made a simple line drawing and a coloring book that year. It was a perfect project for me at that point.
I'm committed to WRAD because I think it helps energize the event if we have a unique logo to mark each year. I just draw pictures, I have nothing to do with the life-changing work LitWorld does, but I am overwhelmed with emotion each year when the pictures come in. I've seen my art on a child's t-shirt who is quietly drawing in Mexico, on a sticker worn by a teacher in the Philippines, on a banner on the side of a bus in Kenya. It really doesn't get better than that.
How does WRAD’s mission connect with your own personal purpose as an artist/creator?
WRAD is a birthday party for reading aloud! It's funny, I was always terrified to read aloud in school so I do think sometimes this is the universe laughing at/with me a little. More deeply though, it's about sharing stories so we can connect and grow, which is exactly what I think any illustrator wants their work to do. My mom was an English teacher for over thirty-five years so I feel deeply connected to the power of literacy and stories.
What are your Top 3 most memorable illustrations from the last 15 years, and why?
2010 because it was the first. It felt scrappy and humble.
2016 because a group of local artists in India painted that year's image on a wall in their school and it was stunning.
2023 because I think that piece has the most punch.
WRAD Illustrations from 2010 to 2025
Looking back on 15 years of WRAD, what stands out to you in how you’ve witnessed this movement grow and evolve over the years?
The first one was very homespun, very grass roots, but to me it's maintained that sensibility. In 2010, WRAD consisted of a couple hundred people celebrating across the world. Our main celebration was a 24-hour readathon in Times Square in February. Even Clifford the Big Red Dog in his dog suit couldn't stay very long because it was so cold. Now we've had Beyonce and past presidents do read alouds with us, which couldn't be better for marketing of course, but I think it's clear that the heart of WRAD has nothing to do with publicity or commerce. It's about literacy and the magic of sharing stories and a way to celebrate the hard work LitWorld does in their clubs and camps the other 364 days of the year.
If you could use three words to describe the spirit of WRAD, what would it be?
Soulful, monumental, happy.
As we approach the 15th year of WRAD, what are you most looking forward to for this year’s celebration?
The surprises! It is a birthday after all. Every year brings its own set of unbelievable stories. In the past, we've seen grown ups who've just read aloud for the first time. People with incredibly vulnerable stories share them aloud within their communities. I can never quite get over the classrooms full of kids in their paper bag crowns, listening intently to someone reading aloud. It's one of my favorite days of the year.
