The Bath Children’s Literature Festival, one of the largest and most beloved children’s book festivals globally, is set to delight families this autumn with a stellar lineup of over 80 events. Renowned authors and illustrators such as Michael Rosen, Cressida Cowell, Rob Biddulph, Harry Hill, and Jacqueline Wilson will be among the headliners, promising a vibrant celebration of literature from Sept. 27 to Oct. 6. Tickets go on general sale July 12.
The festival’s weekends will feature interactive events, giving attendees the chance to hear from their favourite authors and illustrators. During the week, the Schools Programme will involve children from 44 schools across Bath, North East Somerset, Bristol, Somerset, and Wiltshire. More than 1,000 free tickets have been distributed to children in state schools, and every child attending the Schools Programme with a free ticket will receive a free book.
This year, the festival hub will be at The Assembly Rooms, where Waterstones will set up a special festival bookshop. The Waterstones bookshop and café on Milsom Street will also host events, including The Illustrators Café with free how-to-draw sessions led by illustrators Alice Tait, Luke Scriven, Conor Busuttil, and Rhian Wright.
Among the prominent authors attending:
- Michael Rosen , the former Children’s Laureate, will share verses from his new collection Out of this World: The Weirdest Poems of All Time .
- Rob Biddulph , holder of the Guinness world record for the world’s biggest draw-along, will host a family-friendly show featuring new characters from Follow The Fox .
- Cressida Cowell , author of How To Train Your Dragon , will present her latest series Which Way Round the Galaxy .
- Hamza Yassin , wildlife presenter and CBeebies star, will lead a session about his adventures in Hamza’s Wild World .
- Robin Stevens will celebrate ten years of her Murder Most Unladylike series with The Most Unladylike Puzzle Book .
- Ben Miller , actor and comedian turned author, will discuss his new book Robin Hood Aged 10 ¾ .
- Liz Pichon , creator of Tom Gates, will talk about her newest book Ha! Ha! Hilarious .
- Dame Jacqueline Wilson , a Bath native, will introduce her new book The Star of the Show .
- Comedians Harry Hill , Russell Kane , and Richard Ayoade will bring laughter to the festival.
The festival also includes themed events featuring popular characters like Peter Rabbit and the Gruffalo, an evening of Doctor Who events, and opportunities to engage with the stars of the long-running series. Additional highlights include sessions with the legendary Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown and Paralympian Jonnie Peacock.
Tickets can be purchased online at bathfestivals.org.uk, by phone at 01225 463362, or in person at the Bath Box Office.
Festival founders John and Gill McLay, who established the event in 2007, expressed their excitement about this year’s festival. “We have a strong lineup of established superstar authors and illustrators, who we hope will delight the region’s bookworms in an extensive public programme of events and for schools. This festival is all about having fun—a place you’ll get to meet your literary heroes and be inspired to make and create your own stories. We can’t wait until September to share it all,” said John McLay.
Gill McLay emphasized the importance of the festival in addressing post-lockdown learning gaps. “As a result, it feels more important than ever to host live events with authors and illustrators to help children discover the joy in reading and creativity and offer families the opportunity to ignite their children’s imagination with books.”
For full programme details and to sign up for priority booking, visit thebathfestival.org.uk.
