Derby Book Festival will be offering lots of book and nature-related fun for children and families at Bookworms in partnership with Down To Earth Derby on Thursday 20 August from 10am to 3pm at Electric Daisy in Bold Lane, Derby DE1 3NT.
Bookworms offers a full programme of storytelling from authors, illustration demonstrations and talks on nature. This is a family event with our storytelling mainly aimed at children under 11. Tickets cost £5 per child with adults and babes in arms FREE, but tickets must be booked. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
However, if your child loves nature, stories and making things, they are sure to enjoy themselves, whatever their age.
- Free play in the garden with nature play and craft activities included.
- Meet local authors and hear their tales
- Have your face painted (not included in ticket price)
Derby Book Festival’s stall will have a variety of free activities to help you explore our Derby Children’s Picture Book Award 2026 Shortlisted Books as well as some of the favourite nature books. There will be books for sale, including ‘mystery books’ as well as a book swap, allowing children to donate books they no longer read and swap them with ‘gently pre-loved, new-to-you’.
Food and drink available to buy.
Jamie Jordan, Chair of Derby Book Festival said: “It’s never too soon to introduce children to the joy that books bring to our lives – even if they can’t yet read, they can always enjoy seeing pictures and hearing stories. We hope the events will inspire the next generation of readers through exciting events that bring books to life.”
There are two Derby Book Festival programmes of events each year with lots of events for all ages and interests. The Festival organises projects with schools including its annual Derby Children’s Picture Book Award. This year’s winner, voted for by over 2,000 six- and seven-year-olds in the city’s schools, is That’s Not Stella by Donna Fredin. Schools enjoyed virtual visits to 170 classes from Donna in May. They also organise a Children’s Book Appeal twice a year seeking donations of children’s books to be given to families who need support accessing books. The appeal coincides with the Summer Festival and Autumn Edition in venues across the city. In Summer 2026 over 6,000 books were donated.
Full details of all the children’s events can be found on https://www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/
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