Please support Derby's first ever amazing book festival, 31 May to 7 June

The first ever Derby Book Festival will feature internationally acclaimed and best-selling authors, confirming Derby’s reputation as a festival city.

Featuring over 60 separate events the Festival aims to bring Derby’s residents together in a love of books and inspire a new generation of readers. Highlights of the Festival include bestselling author of War Horse and Private Peaceful, Michael Morpurgo, who will give a performance of Only Remembered: songs, stories and poetry from WW1, with music from Coope, Boyes and Simpson, as well as Radio 4’s Bookclub, and a host of other well-known national and local names.

The Festival’s programme will include a broad range of events and activities aimed at all ages and interests from author talks, discussions, live performances and workshops for budding writers to a children’s book trail, storytelling and ‘Make It’ sessions. Events will take place in venues across the city centre and in Derby's primary and secondary schools. The Festival will also include events to appeal to local people with Derby-related themes – cycling, football, cricket, climbing, photography and the railways which this year celebrates a presence in Derby for 175 years.

Why do we need your Support?

This first Derby Book Festival has been set up by two enthusiastic and determined volunteers who have worked pretty well full time for over a year now, successfully securing the support of all the major arts and cultural partners in the city (QUAD, Déda, Derby Museum & Art Gallery, Derby Theatre and Derby LIVE as well as the University of Derby, Derby College, Waterstones, Intu, Marketing Derby and Derby City Council).

We are registered as a charity, we have applied for grants and are seeking sponsorship. An amazing number of wonderful people and organisations have donated their time and expertise for free and of course some of the major events are self-financing, but others aren’t. And then there are all the significant core costs related to organising and promoting the Festival throughout the year. Your support will help to guarantee the Festival's success and ensure its place in the UK's annual book festival calendar.

How can you Help?

Follow us, and spread the word

Find out about the latest speakers and events:

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And then please tell everyone else about it! Share the news through social media, by email, telephone, in a chat over the fence or on your blog. It'll be brilliant for Derby, and the more people who know about it, the more chance that the Festival will become a key date in the city's annual calendar.

Volunteer

Also in the run up to the Festival and during the Festival Week we will need the support of a team of committed and enthusiastic volunteers to help us deliver the Festival. Find out more here!

Donate

And of course if you can help us reach our target of £2500 that would be brilliant! All funds go towards The Derby Book Festival. Check out all the options - and the small rewards which we would like to give you as a big thank you.