Bath Children’s Literature Festival Welcomes Old Friends And New

Bath Children’s Literature Festival welcomes friends old and new to its fabulous 18th year of bringing the magic of books to life for our family audience.

Join us for TEN days of live events featuring Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, festival favourites Liz Pichon, Rob Biddulph, The Gruffalo, and Cressida Cowell, and a series of FREE festival events for all the family.

 This autumn’s children’s literature festival will run from Friday 26 September to Sunday 5 October, bringing some of the biggest and best loved names in the world of children’s books to a family audience of thousands. Tickets will go on sale to Bath Festivals’ patrons on Monday 14 July, to friends and members on Wednesday 16 July and on general sale at 10am on Friday 18 July. Visit: https://bathfestivals.org.uk/childrens-literature/whats-on/

Image - Frank Cottrell-Boyce at a previous festival

 Highlights for 2025:

· Hot on the heels of the new big screen version of How To Train Your Dragon, the OG dragon wrangler herself, illustrator and author Cressida Cowell, will be bringing us more brilliant tales, with How To Train Your Dragon School and a sneak preview of her next book.

· Join the Bafta-winning actor Rose Ayling-Ellis to hear about her book Marvellous Messages. Rose will share her inspirational heroes and talk about her career - from her early love of acting, to being the first deaf presenter of the Paralympics. There will be the chance for the audience to learn some British Sign Language.

· Have your pencils at the ready for big draw-along shows, with Tom Gates’ creator Liz Pichon and illustrator #DrawWithRob Rob Biddulph.

· Pamela Butchart, whose hilarious stories about teachers and pupils are so popular in primary schools, will be bringing us TWO new books, fun, laughter . . . and crisps.

· You’re invited to join the festival’s opener, Party at theMuseum: Up Late at the Holburne Museum on Friday 26 September, 5pm to 9pm. This free event features our favourite book characters, Pokemon fun, art sessions and the Unicorn Academy Nail Bar.

· There’s yet more FREE fun at Bath City Farm. Come and meet the animals of Noisy Farm and enjoy animal-themed storytime too.

· Over the two weekends of the festival, Waterstones, Bath, our official bookseller, is hosting four illustrators in residence. Come and see their artwork, create some of your own and meet the artists at free, drop-in sessions.

· Young fans of book series will be happy to see more from the likes of Unicorn Academy, Skander, Adventure Mice and the Ministry of Unladylike Activity books by Robin Stevens.

· The festival offers stories and fun from the littlest pre-schooler (The Lion Inside with puppets, the lovable Bluey and The Gruffalo) to masterclasses led by bestselling authors for the over eights who want to take their creative writing further.

· There are LOADS of interactive events. Join MC Grammar, fresh from his live show at Glastonbury, for dance-offs, beats and rap battles, or get stuck into learning the skills of how to play Dungeons and Dragons. There’ll be superhero capers, the chance to make your own comic books, science- based fun with Big Manny, and lots of opportunities to ask the authors and illustrators questions in real life!

Join Paddington and Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville for a celebration of the power of books to keep the magic of childhood alive. Hugh’s first children’s book, Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room is all about making your own fun.

This festival sees a new collaboration between the UK’s largest stand alone children’s book festival in Bath and Longleat in Wiltshire, one of the first stately homes to open to the public and which created the first safari park outside Africa nearly 60 years ago, will provide exciting opportunities and a broader audience for both.

Ceawlin Thynn, the 8th Marquess of Bath, said: “Books are an important part of our heritage and just as reading feeds the imagination and increases knowledge; here at Longleat we also encourage families to discover, explore, learn and create memories.

We believe there is great synergy between ourselves and the festival and are delighted to be working closely with the organisers to create a new chapter in its history; we hope you enjoy being part of the story.”

Bath Children’s Literature Festival was founded in 2007 by John and Gill McLay, and is delighted and proud that they remain artistic directors.

New this year - discounted tickets for multiple events
Save on tickets when you book multiple events, with offers for when you book tickets for three events or more.
Story Sampler, book three events – save 5%
Dip your toes into the magic with three events of your choice. Great for first-timers or families who want a taste of the fun.
Chapter Bundle, book five events – save 10%
Build your own adventure with five inspiring events. Ideal for keen young readers and creative explorers.
Festival Adventure, book eight or more events and save 15%
Immerse yourself in a world of stories across eight or more events. A brilliant choice for festival fans with big imaginations.

When you book tickets for multiple different events in one transaction the discount applies automatically across all eligible tickets. *Please note, discounts do not apply to workshops and masterclasses, terms and conditions apply

Something magical about a children’s book festival
Illustrator/author Rob Biddulph is a festival favourite with children of all ages. He said: “There’s something truly magical about a children’s book festival. It’s one of the few places where young readers can step right into the world of the stories they love alongside the people who created them. Meeting their favourite authors and illustrators, asking questions, reading along, drawing along, and realising that books are made by real people just like them can be a life-changing experience.

Books play such a vital role in a child’s happiness. Through reading, they’re exposed to new places, new people, and new ideas, helping them make sense of the world and their place in it. And let’s not forget that a love of reading helps develop a natural desire to learn too, something that stays with a child for life. That spark is exactly what festivals like Bath help nurture. I always feel privileged to be part of it, and I can’t wait for my event on 27 September. It’s going to be so much fun!”

Image - MC Grammar, Photo credit Jiksaw

Bath Children’s Literature Festival’s Schools Programme
The Schools Programme takes place during the festival weekdays (Monday 29 September – Friday 3 October) and is curated for schools and home-schooled families. It features events jam-packed with all kinds of reading delights!

This year’s visiting authors and illustrators are; Waterstones’ Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Robin Stevens, Martin Brown, Sue Hendra, Pamela Butchart, Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre, Ben Miller, Louis Stowell, Luke Scriven, and Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers. For more information and to receive the Schools Programme Brochure, please email: education@bathfestivals.org.uk

Last year’s Schools Programme saw 51 schools taking part, involving more than 4,000 children from Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire

About Bath Children’s Literature Festival
Bath Children’s Literature Festival is part of arts charity Bath Festivals, engaging children and young people with reading, writing, drawing and a love of learning. The 2024 festival saw in excess of 16,000 visitors. The festival is all about having fun, reading for pleasure, meeting the creators of children’s literary heroes, seeing illustrations come to life and sparking the imagination.

Share The Story
Can you help us to Share The Story with more children? Every year we try to reach more children and introduce them to the incredible world of books. Helping children fall in love with stories, and unleashing their imaginations, is at the very heart of the festival’s purpose. We simply can’t do it without you. 

At the point of booking your tickets, you will be asked if you would be happy to donate to our Share The Story Fund. One hundred percent of your donation goes towards our fund and donations will allow children who wouldn’t ordinarily attend the festival, to take a book away with them.

This can have a huge impact on a child’s life, bringing the magic of books to bedside tables and allowing them to recapture the magic over and over again. Please donate.