THE life of a young woman with a passion for children’s writing will become an annual reason to celebrate in Oxford.

Maggie Evans, a 29-year-old literary agent and former pupil at Cumnor School, died in November 2008.

Family and friends have since raised more than £50,000, which has been spent on creating a yearly event in her memory.

The first Maggie’s Day was held at the Story Museum in Pembroke Street last week.

Kati Evans, Maggie’s mother, said: “Children’s literature was something that was very close to Maggie’s heart.

“Right from her childhood, she just loved reading and so, having collected some money, we arrived at the solution of doing something along that theme.”

Miss Evans grew up in Cumnor and went to Oxford High School, before completing a degree in modern languages at Cambridge. She was living in London, building a career with her partner Ben when she fell ill with depression.

Mrs Evans said: “She was a beautiful, friendly girl, full of life, with friends, a fiance, kittens and everything going for her.

“But sadly mental health is something we don’t fully understand and she took her own life.”

Each year the Story Museum will invite its writer-in-residence to create a fun day for local schools.

This year, children from St Ebbe’s, SS Mary and John and Sunningwell primary schools were invited to spend the day with Ted Dewan, the current writer.

They created fictional products for the museum’s Rochester’s Story Supplies shop window – a window of products for Oxford’s fictional community.

Jackie Docker, Year Six teacher at St Ebbe’s Primary School, said: “The children really enjoyed this.

“They had tremendous fun with it, trying to invent cryptic clues for their products.”

Products invented by the children included Croak-a-Cola for the Frog Prince, Grandma’s Toothpaste for the Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood and Sneezy’s Dwarf-sized tissues.

Kim Pickin, co-director of The Story Museum, said: “Maggie’s Day is a special day because it brings schoolchildren, books and authors together to celebrate an exceptional young woman.

“Thanks to the generosity of Maggie’s family and friends, the day is now set to become one of the Story Museum’s annual highlights.”

Maggie’s dad, Bob Evans, added: “We are immensely grateful to people for donating money and allowing us to remember our daughter in this way.”

rpope@oxfordmail.co.uk l To donate to the Maggie’s Fund, cheques can be sent to Oriel College. They should made payable to the Oriel College Development Trust, with a note saying the money is for Maggie.