Stories on the Loose

Our Vision

2026 is the National Year of Reading, and we want to play our part. Our goal is to reignite Britain’s love of reading - to remind people that reading isn’t just something you do alone, but something that sparks conversation and connection.

When someone reads a book and tells another person about it, something magical happens. A book becomes a bridge. That’s what our shows celebrate - reading as a door to adventure, conversation, and belonging.

We believe the best adventures don’t happen on screens - they happen in the imagination, in stories shared between people, in the laughter of a small crowd in a community hall.

Who We Are

We’re Steve Bonham & Chris “The Bishop” Lydon, long-time friends, musicians, and storytellers - part of Artisan Creative, a small Midlands-based arts company dedicated to telling “extraordinary stories of ordinary folk.”

Together we’ve written books, recorded albums, and performed shows around the world - always blending story, song, and reflection into something heartfelt and real.

Stories on the Loose brings everything we’ve done together - the books, the music, the philosophy - into one shared adventure for audiences of all ages.

Why Libraries Matter

Steve Bonham says:

"Having taken our books and performances to libraries before, often in places ill-served by other services, I’ve seen first-hand what remarkable spaces they are."

"In many low-income communities, libraries do so much more than lend out books. Thanks to their wonderful staff, they’ve become places for conversation, support, education and entertainment - somewhere people can come together who might otherwise feel cut off from ideas and from each other."

"The libraries are always delighted when we can come along and offer something, but too often have little or no funds to host events like ours. The more we can raise, the more we can take Stories on the Loose to the places where it can really make a difference."

Read more from Steve on the importance of reading and the pivotal cultural role it plays.

stevebonham.substack.com/p/the-beautiful-conversation-that-begins