When is the next Derby Book Festival?

Our Autumn Festival is taking place from 13 November - 16 November at various venues across Derby in both the city centre arts venues as well as libraries across the city. We are offering events for you to attend in person as well as recording 14 of the events which will be available as a Digital Pass and as individual event recordings. You can also buy a Festival Pass for 12 events that will be held at QUAD: the Pass does not include the event with Sir Tony Robinson which needs to be booked separately.

When are tickets going on sale?

Festival Friends can access priority bookings from Monday 22 September from 10am.

Our general sale begins on Monday 29 September from 10am.

If you’d like to find out more about signing up to become a Festival Friend, visit the website here. 

How can I book tickets?

You can book tickets via the Derby Book Festival website here. 

In addition:

• for events taking place at QUAD, you can book via their website, or in-person at the box office.
• for events at Derby Theatre: you can book online, in person or by phone (01332 593939)
• for all other events (at venues other than QUAD and Derby Theatre): you can book online at www.derbybookfestival.co.uk

To buy tickets online, you will need to set up or log into your account.  Please use this link which will take you to a simple form: https://www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/account/register

On this page you will just need to enter:

•         your name

•         email address

•         a password and then click the ‘Register’ button. Your account is then created.

If you have forgotten your account password, it is very easy to reset it.

To purchase tickets for events taking place at QUAD, you will need to log into your QUAD account once you have clicked the booking link on our website. 

If you have any problems booking tickets, email hello@derbybookfestival.co.uk and we will help you.

For event recordings and our Digital Pass, you can only book via our website.

What is the Festival Pass?

For £60 you can buy a Festival Pass online or from QUAD’s box office to attend, in person, 12 events that QUAD are hosting, excluding Sir Tony Robinson’s which needs to be booked separately. You will need to book your seats for each individual event.

I have a carer, do they need to book a ticket?

Our policy is to provide a complimentary ticket to any carer accompanying a ticket holder on request, but you do need to book a ticket. Please contact the QUAD box office for events at QUAD and Derby Theatre box office for events there or email: hello@derbybookfestival.co.uk for events at other venues.

Where can I view the programme?

Our Autumn Festival line-up is available to view online: https://www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/whats-on/events

You can pick up copies of the printed programmes at venues and locations across the city: QUAD, Derby Museum, local libraries and other arts venues. 

If you’d like to stock copies of our programme, please let us know by emailing: hello@derbybookfestival.co.uk 

Will I receive a physical ticket?

For all events apart from Derby Theatre and QUAD, you will not receive a physical ticket. All events booked via our website will automatically generate a confirmation email, which is also your ticket. We will also have a guest list including ticket holders that we take bookings for (that is for events not in QUAD and Derby Theatre). Festival volunteers will check your name off the guest list at these events.

When you book in-person at QUAD or Derby Theatre, you will receive a physical ticket unless you have requested them to be emailed to you (you will need to show this when you come to the event(s) so you can show it either on your phone or you can print it off at home). If you have booked online, you can still get a physical ticket by visiting QUAD or Derby Theatre's box office. 

Please be aware that QUAD’s box office is open Thursday to Sunday so please check their website for opening hours.  Derby Theatre’s box office is closed on Mondays.

How long do Festival events last and what is the format?

The majority of our events last one hour with a 45 minute interview or presentation by the author followed by a 15 minute Question and Answer session with the audience, giving you the opportunity to ask the author questions.  After the event has finished, we have a book sale and signing.

Some events last longer than one hour - these are usually ones that include refreshments as part of the event eg. Afternoon Teas so we have time to serve the food and drink before the event starts.  Some of the headline authors’ events last 1.5 hours and are then followed by the book sale and signing.

Can I buy the author’s books at the event?

Yes we have a book stall at all of our events, staffed by our Festival volunteers.  You can pay by cash or card.  The stall will have the author’s books and the author will sign books after the event and, if you want, add a personal dedication.  This can take up to 30 minutes if the event is busy, so be prepared to queue to get your book/s signed.  

There is often another book stall at venues selling books from other Festival events, many of them signed copies.

I’m not able to attend in-person events, can I watch online? 

Yes, we have several options: we are filming and recording 14 events in our Autumn Festival. You can either buy and view these as individual event recordings (each costing 50% of the in-person ticket or £5 if the event includes refreshments) or you can buy a Digital Pass for £40 to view all 14 events after the Festival has finished for six weeks from 22 November 2025 to 3 January 2026.

What is the Digital Pass?

The Digital Pass gives you access to watch all 14 events for one price: £40. It’s a great opportunity to catch up on all your favourite author events, whether because you couldn’t attend in-person, or because you want to re-watch a talk. 

Find out more, including all the authors who are featured, and booking link here.
 
How long will these recordings be available for?

Once the Festival has finished, our external filming and sound team will start uploading the recordings to our YouTube channel. This means individual recordings and the Digital Pass will be available from Saturday 22 November 2025 until Saturday 3 January 2026. 

More details about the Digital Pass can be viewed here.
 

What are the benefits of becoming a Festival Friend?

By becoming a Festival Friend for 12 months, you receive benefits such as accessing priority bookings to all events one week before tickets go on general sale, invitations to special events throughout the year and complimentary tickets in the final days before the Festival opens.  Priority bookings enable you to choose your seats at venues first at QUAD and Derby Theatre. Seats at most events are unallocated before the event starts.  

How do I become a Festival Friend? 

It’s really easy to become a friend of Derby Book Festival. Simply visit the website here:

https://www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/get-involved/festival-friends and decide whether you want to purchase a single or joint membership. Single Membership costs £25 and Joint Membership £40.

Unlike other memberships, you do not have to live at the same address as the person you share your membership with.

If the event is cancelled, will I get a refund?

Yes, tickets are refundable (and exchangeable where possible) if an event is cancelled.
 

Accessibility

We want our Festival to be accessible to all.  We work closely with our venues to ensure they can deal with your needs - check their websites for further details. 

All our venues are accessible - if you need assistance at the venue, please contact us using the email below. 

We work with Communication Unlimited to provide translations of events into BSL.  If there is an event you would like to attend and need a BSL interpreter, email hello@derbybookfestival.co.uk and we will arrange this.

Can I purchase refreshments during my event?

The cafe bar on the ground floor at QUAD serves hot and cold drinks, including alcohol and some light snacks when they are open. The Box Office is on the 2nd floor where you can by soft drinks and snacks.

At Artcore and Derby Museums there are cafes open during the day.  For evening events there is a bar selling a range of drinks, including alcohol.

At Derby Theatre there is a cafe/bar on the ground floor and refreshments sold upstairs outside the theatre door.

At Derby College there will be refreshments available at the venue during the day.

At other venues there are no refreshments eg. libraries.

What are the parking arrangements at the venue?

There are lots of parking options available in Derby. The Assembly Rooms car park (DE1 3AF) is now closed.

The nearest car parks to the Museum of Making, QUAD, Artcore and Old Library are either Chapel Street, or Bold Lane ‘Parksafe’.  Your parking ticket can be validated by QUAD or Derby Museums, to receive reduced parking so you only need to pay £3.00 for the day.

There are other car parks and metered street parking in the city centre, but they will probably be more expensive if your visit lasts longer than two hours.

At Alvaston Library there is a free car park behind the row of shops where the library is located.  At Normanton Library there is no public car park but on street parking is usually available next to the building, particularly during the daytime.

What are your plans for Festivals in 2026?
We will be holding two Festivals:
Friday 22 May - Sunday 31 May (Summer Festival)      
Thursday 13 November - Sunday 16 November (Autumn Edition)

What are the addresses of your venues: (A-Z)
Alvaston Library: 1252 London Rd, Alvaston, Derby DE24 8QP

Artcore: Artcore Gallery, 8 Osnabruck Square, Albert Square, Derby, DE1 2DS

Central Co-op Cricket Ground, Nottingham Road, Derby, DE21 6DA

Derby Theatre (situated within the Derbion shopping centre): 15 Theatre Walk, St Peter’s Quarter, Derby, DE1 2NF

Mickleover Library: Holly End Rd, Derby DE3 0EA

Old Library (part of Derby Museum & Art Gallery): The Wardwick, Derby, DE1 1HS

QUAD: Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS

Waterstones: 78-80 St Peters St, Derby, DE1 1SR