Events
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W&A Festival 26
W&A are excited to reveal the 2026 line-up for their popular Children’s Writers & Illustrators Festival, an accessible, informative and fun weekend of online sessions exclusively for writers and illustrators working in both children’s fiction and...
London Book Fair 26
Don’t forget that London Book Fair 2026 is coming up fast. Next year it takes place from Tuesday 10th – Thursday 12th March, at London Olympia. As well as exhibitor stands, LBF also has numerous events taking place over the three days. These include talks,...
New Book Festival
The Read Bookshop is launching the inaugural Holmfirth Children’s Book Festival, a not-for-profit children’s book festival with a mission to promote reading for pleasure among children. The two-day event will be held between 27th and 28th September, featuring authors...
Bookseller Conference
The Bookseller’s Children’s Conference (KidsConf) will return to London’s County Hall in Waterloo on 29th September 2025 and tickets are now on sale. This year’s conference theme is 2030 Vision: Making the Most of a Year of Reading. It promises to be a bold...
Empathy Conference
If you’d like to get a head start on the National Year of Reading, why not join EmpathyLabUK on 27 November as they share cutting-edge research from the University of Sussex exploring how reading impacts children’s empathy skills. Alongside the research you’ll also...
Barnes KidsLitFest
The UK’s largest kids’ literature festival returns on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June. At Barnes KidsLitFest the organisers programme books as theatre, music, maths, science, art, craft, cookery, film, football. Indeed whatever it takes to bring the...
Empathy Festival
Empathy Lab UK has announced its first Empathy Festival, leading up to Empathy Day on 12th June. The festival will start on 2nd June and is ten days of digital author/illustrator events for children and young people of all ages. There will also be range of...
Writers’ Festival
This online Children’s Writers & Illustrators Festival 2025 is designed to provide a blend of tips on the creative process, practical insight into the current children’s publishing marketplace, and information that helps demystify the publishing journey. ALL...
Books are my Bag
You’re invited to the Books Are My Bag Readers 2024 ceremony. The #BAMBReadersAwards are the only book awards curated by bookshops and chosen by readers. Watch the ceremony LIVE on Tuesday 12 November at 7pm on the @booksaremybag YouTube...
Children’s Conference 24
The Children’s Bookseller Conference takes place on Monday 30th September in County Hall, London. This is always an excellent day, packed full of great events and speakers. Reading habits are evolving post-pandemic, with insights emerging into the effects of...
Empathy Day
Empathy Day is approaching fast and this year takes place on Thursday 6th June. Our sister company, Wacky Bee Books, are proud Empathy Builders and publishers of books which encourage empathy. As well as a great collection of books, Empathy Lab UK have a collection of...
Storytime & Craft
Wacky Bee author, Michelle Maiden, continues her publicity tour of her brilliant debut picture book, this time at Godalming Library on Saturday, 25th May at 2.30pm. Join Michelle as she reads her new book “Grandpa Kuma” for children aged 3 to 6 years old, followed by...
Barnes Literary Festival
The UK’s largest children’s literature festival returns to Barnes, South West London, the weekend of 22nd/23rd June. There will be over 100 events with a lineup of stellar authors and illustrators, including Michael Rosen, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Liz...
Storytime!
New Wacky Bee author, Michelle Maiden, will be reading her debut picture book, Grandpa Kuma, at Woking Library on Tuesday 28th May, 10.30 – 11.30am. Grandpa Kuma is based on Michelle’s own experiences growing up as a mixed race child. Her Japanese grandfather...
London Book Fair
London Book Fair next year takes place from 12th – 14th March. New to LBF24 is the Authors’ Lounge – an exclusive space for authors at LBF to network or take some time away from the show floor during their visit. There’s still time to purchase...
Empathy Collection
The 2024 Read for Empathy Collection is being launched on Thursday 8th February 2024 so please save the date. 65 contemporary, diverse books for 3 – 16-year-olds, hand-picked by experts for their ability to help readers understand and build empathy. For more...
Launch Party
Our sister company, Wacky Bee Books, is throwing a launch party on Sunday 26th November (2.30 – 4.30pm) for Slow Down Dino and Busy Lizzie, both by Emily Snape. Pickled Pepper Books are hosting the event and there will be activities, games and prizes. Emily will...
Empathy Conference
Landmark conference: Educating for Empathy – the reading factor. 10.00am-3.30pm on Tuesday 5th December. The urgent need for empathy education strategies is highlighted by society’s increased polarisation and the rise in post-Covid behavioural and mental health...
Success Stories
Over the past 20 years we have been instrumental in helping writers find their place with publishers, whether directly or indirectly. The following is just a handful of our success stories…
