Welcome

Autumn in Bath will be buzzing with our totally brilliant festival. We’ll be welcoming over 100 of your favourite children’s authors and illustrators to spaces and places across Bath, to bring books and stories alive!

We know how much you loved Rob Biddulph last year so he’s back – bigger and better AND he’s also specially chosen some of his favourite illustrator events for the whole family to enjoy. In fact we have a huge selection of things for you to get stuck into. There’s storytime sessions, poetry, drawing, writing and making workshops, as well as fun and interactive book events diving into myths, fantasy, superheroes, football, science, comedy and plenty of magic and mystery.

We’re also celebrating a big book birthday with a special How to Train Your Dragon double bill. Join Cressida Cowell to dive into the world of Hiccup and Toothless and afterwards enjoy a special screening of the film.

All this and much, much more, so turn the page to see our highlights and full events diary before heading to the website for all the details

Festival Experiences

Come with your family to explore the city and enjoy FREE activities during the festival.

The Happiness Hub

The Happiness Hub is BACK for 2023! Young people and their families are invited to drop into The Egg and take part in an array of fun, creative and thoughtful activities to help us all explore what makes us happy. Come and help us make a giant butterfly mural, drop your troubles into the worry jar to offload your cares and relax with a story or two in the chill-out area. Join in with games, quizzes and much more! There’ll be opportunities to make and create, dance your worries away and do what makes YOU happy!

The Happiness Hub will be open to all from 10am – 4pm on Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October.

Character Trail

Pick up our popular FREE Character Trail in partnership with Bath BID that takes you on a hunt around the city centre. A festival badge for all who take part and the chance to win a bundle of festival books too!

Riches of the Earth Exhibition

Enjoy FREE admission to BRLSI’s Riches of the Earth Exhibition running until 7 October – explore the beauty of minerals through the astounding forms and vibrant colours of more than 100 carefully selected specimens. Open 10am – 4pm every day except Sundays.

American Museum & Gardens Family Day

On Sunday 8 October, the American Museum & Gardens will be throwing its gates open, offering FREE site entry for all. Come and enjoy a fun family day out, including a visit to the exhibition Brick America: An Adventure in LEGO® Bricks. Activities on the day include lots of playtime with LEGO bricks in the gallery, storytelling, craft activities, a reading corner and plenty of outdoor space for running and exploring, including a children’s play area. Suitable for any age. Open 10am – 5pm (last entry 4.30pm).

Gaia at Bath Abbey

Luke Jerram’s Gaia is coming to Bath Abbey this Autumn! This large-scale installation of planet Earth is seven metres in diameter and features detailed images of the Earth’s surface.

10% discount on admission for families. Free entry for BA1 and BA2 residents with Discovery card or proof of address. For more details and opening times, see bathabbey.org

NEW FOR 2023:

Don’t miss our special events at The Little Theatre Cinema – including a How To Train Your Dragon celebration with Cressida Cowell, a Babe anniversary showing and Toddler Times every weekday featuring some of Julia Donaldson’s best-loved tales. Look for in the Events Diary.

Events for adults: learn about writing for young people with Bath Spa University or explore your experience of new motherhood with Mothership Writers.

Schools Programme

We want as many children as possible to access the wealth of brilliant authors coming to the festival and celebrate reading with us, so we have programmed 16 events for schools and home-schooled children and have a limited number of free tickets for B&NES schools.

Check out the in the Events Diary and get in touch for more info.

This year we are launching an Industry Day on Friday 29 September for GCSE and A-Level students, opening up the book industry and showcasing the range of careers involved. We also have five fantastic authors touring local schools and inspiring secondary school pupils on the next stage of their reading journeys:

For more info and to book places email: education@bathfestivals.org.uk

Reading is Magic Festival

We are so excited that the Reading is Magic Festival is returning from 2 – 6 October 2023! Our free five-day festival will be beamed straight into schools and homes across the globe and this year we are celebrating 20 Years of How to Train Your Dragon with Cressida Cowell, 25 Years of Skellig with David Almond and Tom de Freston, the brand new Adrien Prize, Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho’s Bookmaker Like You project and many more authors and illustrators. Inspiration for the festival came from Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2019 – 2022 Cressida Cowell’s key message ‘reading is magic, and magic is for everyone’ and the 2023 festival will continue to explore the themes from her Waterstones Children’s Laureate Charter.

Find out more and tune in readingismagicfestival.com