Skip to main content
Search

Summer Derby Book Festival 2026

By Visit Derby

Created November 27, 2024

Last updated April 7, 2026

22- 31st May 2026

Derby’s biggest celebration of books returns with an inspiring programme of events, lively conversations, and unforgettable moments. The Summer Festival brings the city to life, inviting audiences to explore stories, share perspectives, and discover something new.

The 2026 festival showcases a broad and engaging programme that brings together politics, history, popular culture, and the environment. It creates space for big conversations and fresh thinking, with events that reflect the issues shaping the world today as well as the stories that define our past and present.

Audiences can look forward to appearances from celebrated and favourite authors, alongside emerging voices, offering a mix of insight, entertainment, and inspiration. Whether it is a powerful discussion, a fascinating historical deep dive, or a lively cultural conversation, the programme is designed to spark curiosity and connection.

Download Festival programme here

Get All Individual Recordings: Summer 2026 here

Get a DBF Digital Pass: Summer 2026 here - £60 to access 29 recordings

To find out more please visit the Derby Book Festival website

Here's a peek at what's on:

21st May

Big Words book cover Luke Palmer: Big Words 21 May

22nd May

Wild peaks book cover Tom Chesshyre: Wild Peaks: A Journey on Foot Through England’s First National Park - 22 May
Upon a White Horse event artwork Peter Ross: Upon a White Horse 22 May
Nailed It book cover Laura Deller: Nailed It! 22 May
Nailed It book cover Laura Deller: Nailed It! - Workshop 22 May
The Power and Glory Book Cover Jonathan Wilson: The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup 22 May

23rd May

Seven Small Inventions that Changed the World book cover Roma Agrawal: Making Science Fun! 23 May
Space Journal book cover Dallas Campbell: Space Journal: Art, Science and Cosmic Exploration 23 May
Construction workshop event artwork Construction Workshop inspired by 'How to build a chocolate bridge' 23 May
Things we found in Ground book cover Eleanor Bruce & Lucilla Gray: Things We Found in the Ground: A Metal Detecting Journey Through Britain 23 May
The Artist book cover Lucy Steeds: The Artist 23 May
The Last Earth book cover Deepa Anappara: The Last of Earth 23 May
Members Behaving Badly book cover Debbie Kilroy: Members Behaving Badly: A History of Britain in 52 Parliamentary Rogues 23 May
The Post Office Scandal and Me book cover Jo Hamilton: The Post Office Scandal and Me: My Extraordinary Fight for Justice 23 May

24th May

The Beauty of Cold book cover Gilly McArthur: The Beauty of Cold: The Restorative Power of Cold Water for Connection and Joy 24 May
Take Over day event artwork Takeover Day Pass: 2026 24 May
Ben Davis Writing Workshop: Ben Davis: Creating stories for children 24 May
The Writer and the Traitor book cover Robert Verkaik: The Writer and the Traitor: Graham Greene, Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal 24 May
Refugee Countess book cover Janet Tennant: Refugee Countess: The Five Lives of Marion Stein 24 May
The Heart Shaped Tin book cover Bee Wilson: The Heart-Shaped Tin 24 May
Writing Workshop event artwork Writing Workshop: Tracy Bloom: When Writing is Murder! 24 May
Muv book cover Rachel Trethewey: Muv: The Story of the Mitford Girls' Mother 24 May
A Brief History of the Coast book cover Sally Coulthard: A Brief History of the Coast in 100 Objects 24 May
Writing Workshop event artwork Writing Workshop: Lisa Greener: World Building workshop 24 May
Festival Quiz event artwork Festival Book Quiz 2026 24 May

25th May

Book Worms event artwork Bookworms: The Kids Takeover at Electric Daisy 25 May
Gordon Brown Power with Purpose book cover James Macintyre: Gordon Brown: Power with Purpose 25 May

26th May

Marilyn and her Book book cover Morning Coffee with Gail Crowther: Marilyn And Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe 26 May
Creative Comics event artwork Creative Comics with Laura Howell: Springwood Library 26 May
Creative Comics event artwork Creative Comics with Laura Howell: Spondon Library 26 May
Dr Robin Sims CivicLAB: Dr Robin Sims: The Green Man, the Ecogothic and Eric Mottram's A Book of Herne 26 May
The King of Spain and I book cover Ashley Giles: The King of Spain and I - Surviving cricket, depression and the greatest ever Ashes 26 May
The Life Affirming Magic of Birds book cover Charlie Bingham: The Life Affirming Magic of Birds 26 May

27th May

Dr Shelby Judge CivicLAB: Dr Shelby Judge: The Boom of Feminist Greek Myth Retellings 27 May
Capybara Disco Dreams book cover Frances Stickley: Capybara Disco Dreams 27 May
Playful Moves event artwork Playful Moves: The Very Hungry Caterpillar 27 May
These are my Rocks book cover Workshop: These Are My Rocks - A story about Collecting 27 May
Pippa Curnick Pippa Curnick: Pocket-sized Picture Books 27 May
Postman Planet book cover Ben Davis: Postman Planet 27 May
Playful Moves event artwork Playful Moves: The Very Hungry Caterpillar 27 May
The Boleyn Secret book cover Alison Weir: The Boleyn Secret 27 May
The Mercey Step book cover Marcia Hutchinson: The Mercy Step 27 May
Ruthless book cover Edmond Smith: Ruthless: A New History of Britain’s Rise to Wealth and Power, 1660-1800 27 May

28th May

Shitty Breaks book cover Marketing Derby Bondholder Event: Ben Aitken: London 0 Derby 4 28 May
Steam babies event artwork STEAM Babies 28 May
Manga Drawing event artwork Manga Drawing Workshop: ages 6-10 28 May
A Garment for the Moon book cover CivicLAB: Simon Heywood and Shonaleigh: A Garment for the Moon 28 May
Dressing the Queen book cover Cream Tea with Kate Strasdin: Dressing the Queen 28 May
Manga art event artwork Manga Drawing with illustrator & artist Chie Kutsuwada 28 May
The Return of Russia book cover James Rodgers: The Return of Russia: From Yeltsin to Putin, the Story of a Vengeful Kremlin 28 May
Wolfpack book cover Roger Moorhouse: Wolfpack: Hitler's U-Boat War 28 May

29th May

The Galelio Heist book cover Sam Sedgman: The Galileo Heist 29 May
Making Matters book cover Cream Tea with Clare Hunter: Making Matters 29 May
Knight Sir Louis book cover The Brothers McLeod: Knight Sir Louis 29 May
Elemental book cover Arthur Snell: Elemental: How We Will Live on a Warming Planet 29 May
A Life and a Half book cover Chris Bryant: A Life and a Half: The Unexpected Making of a Politician 29 May

30th May

The Strutt Mills book cover North Mills Volunteers: The Strutt Mills of Belper and Milford 30 May
Scam Nation book cover Kaf Okpattah: Scam Nation 30 May
Hard Streets book cover Jacqueline Riding: Hard Streets: Working-Class Lives in Charlie Chaplin’s London 30 May
Patrick Gale and Joanna Cannon Patrick Gale and Joanna Cannon: Reunited 30 May
Dungeons and Dragons event artwork Introduction to Dungeons and Dragons Family Workshop 30 May
Overwhelmed book cover Claudia Hammond: Overwhelmed: Ways to Take the Pressure Off 30 May
To be young gifted and black book cover Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason: To Be Young, Gifted and Black 30 May

31st May

Library of Lost Maps book cover James Cheshire: The Library of Lost Maps 31 May
Absent Minds book cover Madeleine Pownall: Absent Minds: The untold story of the women who changed psychology forever 31 May
Lifeboat at the end of the Road book cover Dominic Gregory: Lifeboat at the End of the World 31 May
Great Art Explained book cover James Payne: Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces 31 May
Legenda book cover Janina Ramirez: Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe 31 May

19th July

Painting Faces book cover Steve Farnsworth: Painting Faces: Being a Life of that Capital Artist, Joseph Wright of Derby 19 Jul

SEARCH MORE DERBY EVENTS HERE

Useful Information

Father and son on platform exiting East Midlands Train Travel Information
Close up of pillows on a bed Stay
Close up of Indian food from Nicco's Eat & Drink

Sign up to our monthly newsletter

Be informed about the latest offers, events, stories and tips for Derby and its region.

All information will be treated in accordance with our privacy notice.