London’s bookworms are in for a treat with several great book and literature festivals coming to London this year.

1 Imagine Children’s Festival, Southbank

Imagine is London's leading arts festival for children aged 0-11 years and takes place on the Southbank. The festival is multi-platform, but has a large literture programme among dance, theatre, music and more. Literature events include: Cressida Cowell (How to Train Your Dragon), Michael Rosen (We're Going on a Bear Hunt), Ashley and Jordan Banjo (from Diversity) - as well as a STEM-linked literature strand with Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (BBC's Sky at Night) and Ben Garrod (Extinct). 

Dates: February 8-18

Website: southbankcentre.co.uk

 

2 Deptford Literary Festival

Taking place on 18 March the Deptford Literary Festival celebrates the diversity and creativity of Deptford and Lewisham through stories and performance aimed at local audiences. The theme for 2023 is climate, nature and food. With opportunities for local organisations to take part, there are also ways for people to take part at home.  Creative writing activities will be run by local writers Ella Frears, Carinya Sharpies and Laura Barker.

Dates: March 18

Website: spreadtheword.org.uk

 

3 Barnes BookFest

Taking part in various spots in leafy Barnes including the famous Olympic Studios and St Mary’s church, the annual book festival always attracts top authors who last year included Anthony Horowitz and Dame Eileen Atkins. Programme will be published shortly. Register for updates on the website. 

Dates: TBC

Website: barnesbookfest.org

 

4 Barnes Children's Literature Festival

The UK's biggest kids' books party is getting ready to return to Barnes Pond on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June, for family book fun, with authors and illustrators. This year the festival is providing over 13,000 places completely free for every state primary school in London in Tower Hamlets (18 & 19 May), Kingston (13 June), Wandsworth (15 & 16 June), Twickenham Stadium (19 June) Barnes from 21 - 24 June.

Dates: June 24-25

Website: barneskidslitfest.org

 

5 Queen’s Park Book Festival

Robert Harris, Clover Stroud and Juliet Rosenfeld were among the writers taking part in last year’s Queens Park Book Festival and this year promises to be equally enthralling. There will be children’s events and activities in a pleasant outdoor setting. This is the only London book festival to be held solely in a public park and the area boasts a wonderful literary history as a home to authors, artists, poets and actors The festival’s unique Queen’s Park Community Tent is a home on the festival site for a diverse range of local writers providing a platform for them to share their work

Dates: September 2-3

Website: queensparkbookfestival.co.uk

 

6 Chiswick Book Festival

Chiswick’s Book Festival will take place from September 6-13 this year. One of the highlights will be a talk by gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh whose book Chatsworth: its Gardens and the People who Made  Them is about the house in Derbyshire which has a close link with Chiswick House. Both grand properties were owned by The Cavendish family which included The Duke of Devonshire.

Last year Chiswick hosted talks and events featuring authors including Richard Cole, Dame Eileen Atkins and Justin Webb. Further details of this year’s festivals will be released soon.

Dates: September 6-13

Website: chiswickbookfestival.net

 

7 Wimbledon Book Fest

So many of the leading names from the world of literature, arts, politics, sport & entertainment have wowed audiences over the years including Ian McEwan, AS Byatt, Emily Maitlis, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Sebastian Faulks, Graham Norton, Maggie O'Farrell, Sir John Major, Julian Barnes, Simon Armitage, Salman Rushdie, Shane Warne, Trevor McDonald, Michael Morpurgo, George the Poet, Malorie Blackman, Ben Okri and the Wombles. 

Dates: September 22- October 1

Website: wimbledonbookfest.org

 

8 London Literature Festival, Southbank Centre

London Literature Festival runs every year during autumn and this year’s event will be the 16th edition. It is the longest running celebration of written and spoken word of its kind in the capital, and sees internationally acclaimed literary names bringing events alongside rising stars and exciting new voices. There are always plenty of events celebrating poetry and spoken word poetry, such as Out-Spoken, with events across the site, including the National Poetry Library, the largest public collection of modern poetry in the world. Families can get involved too as London Literature Festival features events for families and young children, designed to spark a love of literature.

Dates: October 19-29

Website: southbankcentre.co.uk