Derby Book Festival has announced its exciting Summer programme with tickets on sale for all events from Friday 3 April at 10am. The Summer Festival, which will be held from Friday 22 May to Sunday 31 May, will include over 70 book-related events for all ages and interests in venues across the city including QUAD, Derby College, Derby Theatre and Museum of Making.
The Festival is funded by Arts Council England and the University of Derby with sponsorship from several local businesses and individuals.
Tickets are available from the Festival website: https://www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/whats-on/events, which also contains full details of all the events. You can book tickets for all events online and, for events at QUAD and Derby Theatre, also in person from their box offices.
Topics range from fashion to football and from space to spying – we hope you find plenty to interest you.
Highlights of the Festival will include:
- Novelists Joanna Cannon and Patrick Gale in conversation about their latest novels
- Waterstones Book of the Year winner, Lucy Steeds at QUAD
- Guardian sports journalist Jonathan Wilson on the history of the World Cup at QUAD, sponsored by Smith Partnership
- Labour Minister Chris Bryant MP talking about his fascinating biography at QUAD
- Historian Professor Janina Ramirez joins us at QUAD sponsored by The Pepperpot
- Former English cricketer Ashley Giles at Central Co-Op County Ground sponsored by the Cricket Societies Association
- Jo Hamilton talks about her experience of The Post Office Scandal at QUAD, sponsored by Penguin PR
- Two cream tea events with Kate Strasdin and Clare Hunter at Museum of Making, sponsored by Crystal Care Collection
- BBC Radio 4’s Claudia Hammond talking about her latest book, Overwhelmed, sponsored by Crystal Care Collection
- The biography of the Mitford Girls’ mother, Muv, sponsored by Boolers at Derby College
- A special event at Kedleston Hall with novelist Deepa Anappara, which has strong links with Kedleston Hall’s latest exhibition, How Did We Get Here?
- Blogger and DIY buddy Laura Deller at the Museum of Making
- An expanded children and families’ programme including the popular Bookworms: The Kids Takeover at Electric Daisy (in partnership with Down to Earth Derby) sponsored by Smith Partnership plus Making Science Fun! with Roma Agrawal, learn to create comics with illustrator Laura Howell and an Introduction to Dungeons and Dragons Workshop.
The Festival will once again take over Derby College on Sunday 24 May with seven events held across the day, with a Takeover Day Pass available for £40 for all seven events. The Day will also include a series of Writing Workshops and the annual Festival Book Quiz.
There will also be an event featuring a new biography of Joseph Wright of Derby on 19 July at the Old Library, Derby Museum and Art Gallery with Steve Farnsworth. This will coincide with the much-anticipated exhibition of Joseph Wright’s paintings which will transfer from the National Gallery.
For people who are unable to attend in person, 29 Festival events will be filmed and recorded and made available after the Festival ends as both individual recordings or as a Digital Pass offering access to all 29 events for £60 for six weeks after the Festival ends. Individual recordings are also available from £5 each.
The two annual primary schools’ Meet the Author events, both to be held at Derby Theatre and sponsored by local firm Cosy, will feature the Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell Boyce and author/illustrator Joe Todd Stanton. These two events will also be live streamed to schools across the city and county, reaching around 12,000 children.
Academics from the University of Derby will present three free CivicLAB events at Derby Theatre Community Hub to talk about their latest research and publications on a broad range of subjects. This year’s programme includes an event with Dr Robin Sims, Dr Shelby Judge and Simon Heywood and Shonaleigh.
Professor Keith McLay, Chair of Derby Book Festival and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby, said: “Derby Book Festival continues to play an important role in bringing people from across the region together through a shared love of books, ideas and storytelling.
“The 2026 programme is set to be diverse and engaging, with an exciting line-up of authors, thinkers and creatives offering something for audiences of all ages and interests. The University of Derby is proud to support the Festival which not only celebrates reading, but also creates opportunities for communities to connect, learn and be inspired.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the region and beyond, and extend our thanks to the partners, sponsors and supporters whose continued commitment makes the Festival possible.”
The Festival programme will be available from all Festival venues, as well as from libraries and local cafes and community centres. The Festival is organised in partnership with all the major arts and cultural partners in the city.
