From Country Hits to Cradle Stories: Dolly Parton’s Beautiful Gift to 75 Belfast Babies. ML
“A Little Bit of Dolly in Belfast”: How a Country Music Icon Is Inspiring a New Generation of Readers
She’s been a country music legend, a movie star, and a global icon of generosity — and now Dolly Parton is taking on a new role for dozens of families in Belfast: that of storytime companion.
Starting this October, 75 babies born and registered at Belfast City Hall will receive a special gift — a free book every month until their fifth birthday — thanks to the city’s new partnership with Parton’s Dollywood Foundation.
That’s 60 books per child, or 4,500 books in total, delivered straight into the hands of young readers and their families.
The initiative marks the launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Belfast, a reading program that began 30 years ago in Tennessee, where Parton grew up. What started as a local project to provide books to children in her home county has blossomed into a global movement, gifting millions of books across North America, the UK, and beyond.
On Thursday, Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly hosted a special ceremony at Belfast City Hall to celebrate the milestone.
“There’s nothing more important than reading and bonding with your child,” Kelly said, smiling as parents posed with their babies. “I’d love to see this expand right across Northern Ireland — I can’t imagine anyone would object to giving children a chance to fall in love with books.”
The event also marked the fulfillment of a long campaign by Councillor Séamas De Faoite, who first proposed the scheme in 2022.
“I’m thrilled to see it finally come to life,” he said. “I’ve always admired Dolly — her compassion, her work for literacy, and the way she gives back. This program embodies that spirit.”
Megan Fletcher, regional director at The Dollywood Foundation, has overseen the expansion of the Imagination Library in Northern Ireland since 2015.
“We’ve started small, but the appetite is growing,” she explained. “We’ve worked with local partners, and we’d love to see the program reach every child in Northern Ireland. And who knows — maybe one day, Dolly herself will come to Belfast.”
For parents like Mark McBride, the program already feels like something special. His baby daughter Maria was one of the first to be enrolled.
“We read with our older child every night,” he said. “It’s such a nice way to connect — and now Maria will have her own library before she can even walk.”
In a city often defined by rebuilding and renewal, Dolly Parton’s books may seem like small gifts. But for 75 Belfast babies, they could be the first step toward a lifelong love of reading — and a little touch of Tennessee magic, too.
