Book festival announces packed programme for summer edition

Derby Book Festival has announced a packed programme of events for its summer edition – with tickets now on sale.

The Summer Festival, which will be held from Friday 22 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 Group, Derby Theatre and Derby Museums’ Museum of Making.

Topics range from fashion to football and from space to spying.

Highlights include novelists Joanna Cannon and Patrick Gale in conversation about their latest novels.

There will be appearances from Waterstones Book of the Year winner Lucy Steeds, Guardian sports journalist Jonathan Wilson, Labour Minister Chris Bryant MP and historian Professor Janina Ramirez.

And former England cricketer Ashley Giles will give a talk at Derbyshire County Cricket Club’s Central Co-Op County Ground.

Jo Hamilton will talk about her experience of The Post Office Scandal, while over at the Museum of Making, there will be two cream tea events with Kate Strasdin and Clare Hunter.

There will also be 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?.

This summer’s festival features an expanded children and families’ programme, including The Kids Takeover at Electric Daisy, in partnership with Down to Earth Derby.

There will also be two primary schools’ Meet the Author events, both to be held at Derby Theatre, which 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.

And 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.

Marketing Derby will also have its own event on Thursday 28 May, which will be ‘An Audience with Ben Aitken’, organised in collaboration with Derby Book Festival and arranged by Visit Derby.

It will feature travel writer Ben talking about his latest book, which covers some of the UK’s uncelebrated and least visited cities. He will also share with Team Derby why he loves our city.

The festival is funded by Arts Council England and the university, with sponsorship from several local businesses and individuals, including Smith Partnership, The Pepperpot, Penguin PR and Cosy.

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.”

For the full programme of events and to book tickets click here.

For people who are unable to attend in person, 29 events will be filmed and recorded and made available after the festival ends.