Centenary Legacy Books

We published two books to mark the centenary of the First World War. They are available in a bookshop near you now!

All of the winning entries from the four Centenary poetry, art, and song competitions from 2014-18 have been published in a beautiful anthology of creative work by children and young people, inspired by the First World War.  The anthology is available on Amazon here. Stories of the First World War provides an introduction to the Great War period for young people, with examples of poetry and art from the period along with personal stories.  Stories can be purchased on Amazon here.  

Never Such Innocence:  The Centenary of the First World War
Children's Responses through Poetry, Art, and Song

Foreword: Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence KCVO, CB, ADC(P)

The Anthology is a beautiful and moving collection of twenty-first century young people's responses to the First World War.  We are incredibly proud of the emotional maturity, creativity, and historical understanding that they have shown over the years.  The work collected in the anthology demonstrates how children and young people have responded to the centenary commemorations, tackling challenging, emotive topics with respect, thought and creativity.

Featuring over 50 paintings and 75 poems Never Such Innocence is both a celebration of children’s creativity and a moving testimony to how young people have engaged with the First World War.

Hardback cloth with jacket, 232 x 210 mm, 208 pages, over 75 colour illustrations
Price: £19.99
ISBN: 978-1-9995872-1-5
Published: 18 October, 2018

'This lavish hardback book – which is surely a must- have for all school libraries - has been produced by the First World War commemoration charity Never Such Innocence. There is some stunning work in the book, and the very best artwork and poetry is particularly moving. It will no doubt be a hugely valuable resource for schools wanting to encourage their own students to respond to war narratives……..a tremendous testimony to the acts of imaginative engagement that many thousands of children have performed as a result of this project'
Gary Snapper, Editor of NATE Teaching English

Stories of the First World War
The Men, Women, Children and Animals that Played their Part

“The war changed Britain and the world. Only by understanding it and the consequences, can we make sense of the world around us today. This resource produced by Never Such Innocence gives us an excellent account of the war, its effect on society, art and culture. It is a great place for young people to start learning and engaging with our shared history”.  
- Dan Snow

This original and fascinating colour-illustrated book provides an accessible journey through the First World War. Using a combination of stories, poetry and artwork it shows how the war changed Britain and the world. It explores the different stages of the war, and aims to provide young people with an objective and insightful account of the events that unfolded between 1914 and 1919. 

Stories is a hard-backed edition of the Never Such Innocence educational resource.  Over the past four years the team have worked with historians, experts, and with Embassies and High Commissions to create an introduction to the First World War that encompasses a huge variety of topics.  Learn about the War in the Skies and at Sea, the Women on the Front Lines, and the Medical Advancements of this important part of our shared history.  Stories encompasses profiles on the experiences of different countries including Germany, Russia, the USA, South Asia, Ireland and many more! 

As well as covering over 50 fascinating topics, Stories includes personal accounts of the War, such as the moving letter from Calais driver Betty Stevenson to her father, and an account of Manta Singh's heroic rescue of an injured comrade by carrying him through No Man's Land in a wheelbarrow!

Stories of the First World War is heavily influenced by Never Such Innocence's commitment to inspiring young people through poetry, art, and song.  As such, you will find wonderful examples of creative work from the First World War.  Read about life on the Western Front in the words of soldiers themselves, and see Field Hospitals brought to life by a War Artist's drawing. 

Hardback plc, 144 pages, 296 x 210 mm, over 150 colour illustrations
Price: £14.99
ISBN: 978-1-9995872-0-8
Published: 18 October, 2018