Derby Book Festival 2025 opens on Friday!

Derby Book Festival celebrates the 10th anniversary at the Summer Festival 2025 which opens on Friday 23 May with 60 events planned in venues across the city over the following 10 days.

Tickets can be booked online at www.derbybookfestival.co.uk or in person or by phone including Artcore, Derby Museums, Derby Theatre, Derbion, Electric Daisy, Little Darleys, QUAD, Normanton Library, Alvaston Library, and St Peter’s Church for the events they are hosting.

The Festival, which will be held from 23 May – 1 June, is funded by Arts Council England and the University of Derby, with sponsorship from several local businesses and individuals. This includes Boolers, Cosy foundation, East Midlands Chamber, Geldards, Marketing Derby, Pennine Healthcare, Smith Partnership and Pam and John Rivers.

This year’s Festival is ‘hybrid’ with in-person and recorded events. A Digital Pass is available giving access to 22 recorded events, which will be available to watch for six weeks after the Festival ends (from Thursday 5 June to Thursday 17 July) for £50. 

Academics from the University of Derby will present six free CivicLAB events at Artcore to talk about their latest research and publications on a broad range of subjects. This year’s programme also 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 of the University of Derby, said: “For the past decade, Derby Book Festival has brought together a diverse community of readers, writers, and thinkers, and this year is no exception. 

“As a Civic University serving the city and county, we aim to inspire and create positive opportunities for our community and supporting Derby Book Festival is one of many ways we bring this to life.

“From established literary voices to emerging talent, Derby Book Festival offers something for everyone — whether you're passionate about fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or storytelling in all its forms. We are proud to champion creativity and connection, and look forward to this summer’s events.”

Highlights of the Festival will include UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at Derby Theatre, who returns to our Festival 10 years on from his first visit. He will be introducing a selection of his own poems, including instant Sunday Times bestseller Blossomise and his brand new poetry collection Dwell, as well as answering questions from the audience (sponsored by Geldards).

The programme also includes:

● poet and author Hollie McNish at Landau Forte College (sponsored by Smith Partnership)

● former MP and Home Secretary Alan Johnson who returns to the Festival with his book Harold Wilson (sponsored by Smith Partnership)

● Parkrun founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt with his memoir, One Small Step, (sponsored by Pennine Healthcare).

The Festival includes a range of genres with something for all ages and interests including:

● Guardian journalist and author Lucy Mangan at Landau Forte (sponsored by Boolers)

● Political commentator and podcaster Gabriel Gatehouse will talk about conspiracy theories at an event (sponsored by Geldards)

● 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

● Fantasy Fiction with Derby authors Antonia Hodgson & Abbie Eaton

● Proof Party with Headline publishers: Introducing Ellie Levenson and Karla Marie Sweet

​​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, with tickets still available on Saturday 24 May at 7.30pm at QUAD.

The Festival includes an extensive children’s programme from multiple free events or suggested donations to enjoy during the May half-term including:

● The return of the popular Bookworms event: The Kids Takeover at Electric Daisy on Thursday 29 May from 10am till 3pm, in partnership with Down to Earth Derby (sponsored by Smith Partnership)

● Inventor and author of The Inventor’s Workshop, Ruth Amos will be teaching children to design their own inventions and prototypes taking place twice on Saturday 24 May at The Museum of Making

● Storytelling at Derbion and Waterstones including our Shared Reading volunteers supporting children with their application for a Blue Peter Book badge

● An interactive family performance ‘The Lost Property Library’ presented by ‘Wrongsemble’ taking place at various times across the day on Tuesday 27 May at Derby Theatre Studio.

The Festival will once again take over Derby College on Sunday 25 May with eight events held across the day (sponsored by East Midlands Chamber), with a Takeover Day Pass available for £40 for all eight events. Events covering a wide range of topics from working on parole, to Queen Victoria and her Prime Ministers and Britains Postal Paths. The Day will also include a series of Writing Workshops and the annual Festival Book Quiz available for £40 for a team of six.

This year the Festival organisers are presenting two programmes with the next one, the Autumn Edition, to be held from 14 – 16 November and tickets go on sale at the end of September.

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.

You can find more information about the Festival at www.derbybookfestival.co.uk