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First tickets on sale for Derby Book Festival’s Autumn Edition

By - 03 September 2021 - 09:54am

You can now buy tickets to see Pam Ayres live at Derby Theatre

Tickets for An Evening with Pam Ayres go on sale today (Friday 3 September) at Derby Theatre as part of Derby Book Festival’s Autumn Edition. Pam Ayres will be presenting her latest anthology of poems, Pam Ayres on Animals, at a special event on Tuesday 9th November.

The Festival’s Autumn Edition will also include ten events from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th November to be hosted at QUAD Derby. Tickets for these ten events will go on sale on Monday 20 September both online and from QUAD.

The Autumn Edition will be another hybrid festival with a choice of in-person, live streamed and recorded events.

The Festival includes a range of the most popular genres: politics, thrillers and biography.

Highlights of this, the Festival’s second Autumn Edition, will include:

  • Politician and author David Lammy MP, who will discuss his book, Tribes: A Search for Belonging in a Divided Society with BBC East Midlands Today presenter, Navtej Johal
  • Journalist and political columnist, Steve Richards considers The Prime Ministers We Never Had
  • Author Wendy Moore looks at the pioneering women who ran Britain’s Trailblazing Military Hospital: Endell Street in the first world war
  • Author, Katherine May talks about her memoir, Wintering, and explains her experiences of the healing powers of the natural world
  • Author and autograph collector, Adam Andrusier talks about his memoir: Two Hitlers and a Marilyn
  • Guardian columnist and TV critic Lucy Mangan discusses her first novel, Are We Having Fun Yet?
  • Nottingham based author, T M Logan shares his experience of becoming a best-selling novelist and selling over a million copies of his novels
  • Historian Alison Weir presents her final historical novel in her series about Henry VIII’s wives: Katharine Parr: The Sixth Queen
  • Costa Novel winner and three-times Booker longlisted author, Jon McGregor discusses his latest: Lean Fall Stand
  • Former MP and Home Secretary, Alan Johnson discusses his first novel, The Late Train to Gipsy Hill


Derby Book Festival was held for the sixth time in June 2021 with 50 events over ten days and was one of the first Festivals in the country following lockdown. The Festival is organised in partnership with all the major arts and cultural partners in the city with funding from the Arts Council England, the University of Derby and over 20 businesses and individuals across the city.

Liz Fothergill, Chair of the Festival says: “We held our first Autumn Edition in 2019 and it was a great success. Little did we think it would be our last Festival for 18 months and we were delighted we were able to go ahead.

“As things start to return to normal, we hope to welcome old and new audiences back to our wonderful partner venues, encouraging people to enjoy the pleasure that books bring to our lives.”

Professor Kathryn Mitchell DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said:

“I am delighted that the University of Derby continues to support Derby Book Festival and look forward to seeing the inspirational activities planned for this year’s Autumn Edition.

“The Festival continues to go from strength to strength, enriching the city’s diverse arts and cultural offering and providing people with more ways to explore, celebrate and share experiences to create a sense of place.”

The Festival will have book sales and author signings at all events plus a Book Stall selling books from previous Festivals as well as a selection of children’s books and a Mystery Book selection.

The Festival programme, designed by local company, Archer Hampson, is available from QUAD, Derby Theatre, all libraries and tourist offices. Tickets can be booked online at: Derby Book Festival or in person or by phone at Derby Theatre or QUAD.

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