As is so often the case, life presents us with new challenges, and they cannot always be solved immediately. Most of the time, we fail not because of the task itself, but because
we are unwilling to let go of familiar perspectives. The picture book ‘The Fisherman and the Hidden Light’ tells the story of a fisherman who has always been successful at catching crabs with his lamp – until a strange light in the water presents him with a mystery. Only when he finds the courage to question his beloved lamp does he realise the true extent of the light: bigger, gentler and more beautiful than he could ever have imagined. This story uses lovingly atmospheric imagery to show that some things can only grow if we give them peace, time and openness, and that # sometimes the familiar blocks our access to the new. I would like to invite all children, young and old, to develop the courage to pause and try new things, and to recognise that the most beautiful discoveries often reveal themselves when we are willing to leave old paths behind.