Benji Barkley
@benjibarkley.bsky.social
Local children's author in Wiltshire.
https://benjibarkley.com
https://benjibarkley.com
Thank you for following along through Advent, Christmas and the New Year. Time for me to get back to planning where Patch loses the pages next.
January 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Thank you for following along through Advent, Christmas and the New Year. Time for me to get back to planning where Patch loses the pages next.
Twelfth Night. Feels like the right moment to let Santa and Patch have a long rest until next December.
January 6, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Twelfth Night. Feels like the right moment to let Santa and Patch have a long rest until next December.
If your child took one of the books into school for show and tell, I hope it went down well - I always enjoy hearing those stories.
Benji Barkley - Children's Author
Discover local adventures through Wiltshire with The Lost Pages series. Books featuring Warminster, Glastonbury, Bath, Bradford-on-Avon, Salisbury, Bristol and Devizes available now.
benjibarkley.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
If your child took one of the books into school for show and tell, I hope it went down well - I always enjoy hearing those stories.
Back to school for many today. Good luck to all the small people and the tired adults doing the school run.
January 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Back to school for many today. Good luck to all the small people and the tired adults doing the school run.
Box in the dark, with the Box tunnel and the house lights glowing in the background, is still one of my favourite images from this run of books.
January 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Box in the dark, with the Box tunnel and the house lights glowing in the background, is still one of my favourite images from this run of books.
Sunday again. If you are doing the last bits of homework and uniform sorting, a ten minute story break is allowed.
January 4, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Sunday again. If you are doing the last bits of homework and uniform sorting, a ten minute story break is allowed.
Lost Presents of Wiltshire still works as a wintry story even after Christmas - it is really about dashing around familiar places together.
January 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Lost Presents of Wiltshire still works as a wintry story even after Christmas - it is really about dashing around familiar places together.
The decorations will start coming down soon. In our house the Christmas books stay out a little longer - they feel too sad to pack away straight away.
January 3, 2026 at 7:00 AM
The decorations will start coming down soon. In our house the Christmas books stay out a little longer - they feel too sad to pack away straight away.
If your school or nursery would like a small Lost Pages corner about your town or county, feel free to send a message.
January 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM
If your school or nursery would like a small Lost Pages corner about your town or county, feel free to send a message.
First morning of 2026. Fresh notebook, same mischievous dog in my head running off with pages.
January 1, 2026 at 7:01 AM
First morning of 2026. Fresh notebook, same mischievous dog in my head running off with pages.
Whatever you are doing tonight, I hope the year ahead brings you time for stories and little local adventures. Happy New Year when it comes.
December 31, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Whatever you are doing tonight, I hope the year ahead brings you time for stories and little local adventures. Happy New Year when it comes.
New Year’s Eve - feels like a good day to say thank you again to everyone who has bought, borrowed, gifted or shared the books this year.
December 31, 2025 at 7:00 AM
New Year’s Eve - feels like a good day to say thank you again to everyone who has bought, borrowed, gifted or shared the books this year.
If you are travelling back home, books are still some of the best car and train companions, especially for small people.
December 30, 2025 at 5:01 PM
If you are travelling back home, books are still some of the best car and train companions, especially for small people.
Two days left of the year. Have you had a favourite children’s book discovery in 2025 - Lost Pages or otherwise?
December 30, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Two days left of the year. Have you had a favourite children’s book discovery in 2025 - Lost Pages or otherwise?
If you are visiting family around Wiltshire or Somerset this week, it can be fun for little ones to take the matching book and see what they recognise.
December 29, 2025 at 7:00 AM
If you are visiting family around Wiltshire or Somerset this week, it can be fun for little ones to take the matching book and see what they recognise.
Wiltshire evenings at this time of year are all dark lanes and lamp light - exactly the sort of places where a page might slip away unseen.
December 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Wiltshire evenings at this time of year are all dark lanes and lamp light - exactly the sort of places where a page might slip away unseen.
Nearly the end of the year. I am already scribbling ideas for where Patch might run off to next.
December 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Nearly the end of the year. I am already scribbling ideas for where Patch might run off to next.
In my head, Patch spends Boxing Day asleep by the fire, dreaming of reindeer and biscuits.
December 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
In my head, Patch spends Boxing Day asleep by the fire, dreaming of reindeer and biscuits.
Boxing Day often seems to be walks, leftovers and board games here. A good time to read that book you did not quite get to yesterday.
December 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Boxing Day often seems to be walks, leftovers and board games here. A good time to read that book you did not quite get to yesterday.
If a Lost Pages book ends up under anyone’s tree, I would love to see a photo of it being read among the wrapping paper and chaos.
December 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
If a Lost Pages book ends up under anyone’s tree, I would love to see a photo of it being read among the wrapping paper and chaos.
Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating today. Thank you for all the support for these little local books this year - it means a lot.
December 25, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating today. Thank you for all the support for these little local books this year - it means a lot.
Whatever you are reading tonight - a Lost Pages book or something else - I hope bedtime is cosy and not too late. Father Christmas has a lot to do.
December 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Whatever you are reading tonight - a Lost Pages book or something else - I hope bedtime is cosy and not too late. Father Christmas has a lot to do.
Christmas Eve. In the Christmas book, this is the night everything almost goes wrong, naturally. Patch has a very busy night ahead of him.
December 24, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Christmas Eve. In the Christmas book, this is the night everything almost goes wrong, naturally. Patch has a very busy night ahead of him.
If you need something calming before the big day, a quiet story about familiar streets and fields can work wonders at bedtime.
December 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
If you need something calming before the big day, a quiet story about familiar streets and fields can work wonders at bedtime.
Christmas Eve Eve. I wonder how many “Eve”s you could add before it gets silly…
December 23, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Christmas Eve Eve. I wonder how many “Eve”s you could add before it gets silly…