Derby Book Festival announces programme for its 10th anniversary

Derby Book Festival reveals its exciting programme for its 10th anniversary today with tickets on sale for all events from Monday 7 April. Derby Book Festival’s Summer Festival, which will be held from Friday 23 May to Sunday 1 June, will include 60 book-related events in venues across the city including QUAD, Derby College, Derby Theatre, Artcore and Derby Museums. 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, which also contains full details of all the events. You can book tickets for all events to be hosted by QUAD and Derby Theatre online and from their box office either in-person or by telephone. Tickets for events at other venues can only be booked online.

Topics range from conspiracy to cricket and railways to running – we hope you find plenty to interest you.

Highlights of the Festival will include:

• The Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at Derby Theatre, sponsored by Geldards
• Horrible Histories author Terry Deary at QUAD
• Poet Hollie McNish at Landau Forte College, sponsored by Smith Partnership
• Guardian journalist and author Lucy Mangan at Landau Forte, sponsored by Boolers
• Former MP and Home Secretary Alan Johnson returns to the Festival with his book about Harold Wilson, sponsored by Smith Partnership
• Political commentator and podcaster Gabriel Gatehouse will talk about conspiracy theories at an event sponsored by Geldards 
• BBC News Special Correspondent and former Radio 4 Today presenter, James Naughtie
• Parkrun founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s memoir, sponsored by Pennine Healthcare
• Historians Alison Weir, Christian Wolmar and Anne Somerset
• Chloe Dalton, Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction 2025 shortlistee for Raising Hare
• Novelists Sarah Moss, Clare Chambers and Andrew McMillan
• An expanded children and families’ programme including the popular Bookworms: The Kids Takeover at Electric Daisy (in partnership with Down to Earth Derby and sponsored by Smith Partnership plus Storytelling at Derbion and Waterstones, Children’s Theatre Shows and activities with The Inventor’s Workshop author Ruth Amos)
• Plus debut novelists and nature writer Simon Barnes. 

The Festival will once again take over Derby College on Sunday 25 May with eight events held across the day, sponsored by East Midlands Business Chamber, with a Takeover Day Pass available for £40 for all eight events. The Day will also include a series of Writing Workshops and the annual Festival Book Quiz.

There will also be a special preview screening of the film of the best-selling book, The Salt Path, starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, on Saturday 24 May at 7.30pm at QUAD. The Salt Path’s author, Raynor Winn, has attended two previous Festivals and has strong links with the area.

The two annual primary schools’ Meet the Author events, both to be held at Derby Theatre and sponsored by local firm Cosy, will feature authors MG Leonard and Nadia Shireen. These two events will also be live streamed to schools across the city and county, reaching around 12,000 children.

For people who are unable to attend in person, 23 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 23 events for £50 for six weeks after the Festival ends. Academics from the University of Derby will present seven free CivicLAB events at Artcore to talk about their latest research and publications on a broad range of subjects. This year’s programme includes an event with Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby on her co-authored book, Making Equal.

Professor Keith McLay, Chair of Derby Book Festival and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby, said:

“Derby Book Festival is a cherished part of our city and region’s cultural life, and 2025 marks a special milestone as the charity celebrates its 10th anniversary.

“Once again, there is a wide-ranging programme of events and inspired guests that appeal to all ages and interests. The University of Derby is proud to continue to support the Festival, which opens up a wealth of opportunities for our communities to come together to explore books and a love of reading.

“We are looking forward to welcoming so many talented and engaging authors across various genres to the city to share their passions and insights, and thank the local businesses and organisations that have given their support to Derby Book Festival this year.”

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.