From Village Fundraiser To The UK’s Biggest Children’s Book Festival
The London Children’s Book Festival (formerly Barnes Children’s Literature Festival) returns on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June 2026, bringing two days of stories, creativity and community spirit to Barnes and beyond.
What began 12 years ago as a one-day school fundraiser is now the UK’s largest dedicated children’s book festival, welcoming more than 10,000 ticketed visitors over one weekend and reaching over 20,000 children through its free school’s programme across London.
A grassroots story powered by families
In a recent conversation, Amanda, one of the founding volunteers, reflected on the festival’s journey from a local idea to a London-wide institution. With a background in journalism and publishing PR, she had seen first-hand how powerful live literature events could be for children.
The spark came during walks around Barnes Pond with her twin babies. She noticed the village’s perfect mix of venues, independent shops and—crucially—its own bookshop.
“Every community should have their own bookshop,” she said, “and a festival that brings it to life.”
In April 2015, chatting at the school gates of Barnes Primary, Amanda floated the idea of a one-day event to raise money for the school library. Other book-loving parents stepped forward with skills in areas like graphic design, and a grassroots volunteer team was born.
That first event quickly grew to support all five local schools. Today, the festival is still run entirely by volunteers, with no paid staff, no office and no government funding. The original founding families remain at the heart of operations, and many of their children—now at university—work across the festival site each year.
Reborn as the London Children’s Book Festival
In 2026, the festival has rebranded as the London Children’s Literature Festival to reflect its true reach. While Barnes remains the beating heart of the public weekend, the schools programme now stretches across boroughs including Kingston, Hammersmith, Ealing, Wandsworth, Croydon, Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
Amanda explained that many families in outer boroughs had never heard of Barnes, even though the festival was already working in their schools.
“The dream is to be in every borough of London,” she said.
The new name signals that ambition clearly: this is a festival run by families for families, but with a London-wide vision.
A weekend with “music festival vibes”
During the public weekend, the festival transforms Barnes Village into a buzzing hub of creativity, with 11 venues this year running simultaneously. It’s often described as a “book festival with music festival vibes”.
Families can expect:
- Ticketed author and illustrator events
- Hands-on workshops
- Family shows and performances
Alongside this sits a huge free programme, which has become central to the festival’s ethos of accessibility. Highlights include:
- LEGO tent
- Chess tables
- Live music
- Bollywood dancing
Many families choose to buy tickets for two events—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—then spend the rest of the day enjoying the free activities. Crucially, there is no entrance fee, and the site is buggy-friendly with flexible time commitments, from a quick 5-minute visit to a full 5-hour day out.
The aim is simple: to make books feel like fun, not homework, and to create shared family memories around reading in a screen-dominated world.
The largest ever free schools programme for the National Year of Reading
In 2026, the festival is also delivering its largest ever free Schools Programme to mark the National Year of Reading. Running from Thursday 21 May to Friday 26 June 2026, the London Schools Literature Festival will offer over 20,000 free places to state primary schools across the capital.
Events take place in some of London’s most iconic venues, including:
- Twickenham Stadium
- Hackney Empire
- Rose Theatre Kingston
- Battersea Arts Centre
- Lyric Hammersmith
Schools travel to these venues to meet the authors and illustrators their pupils love—at no cost for tickets.
“We believe in the magic that happens when children meet the authors and illustrators, they love and the lasting impact that this can have,” the festival team says.
The programme is designed to crack open the National Curriculum, bringing reading and writing to life through live events and new books that teachers can weave back into classroom learning.
“Expect every hand in the air!” is the promise to teachers.
The festival team is clear:
“We really hope you’ll bring your classroom to the Festival. We can’t wait to meet you and your students.”
Digital innovation, global reach and royal recognition
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the festival became the first literature festival in the UK to move its programme online, live-streaming 40 authors and illustrator events free to schools and families over six days, attracting over 45,000 viewers, including 136 schools from forty countries, Johns Hopkins University and the Scottish Prison Service.
This innovative response earned the festival:
- The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for its COVID work
- Recognition as a King’s Coronation Champion for volunteering in Richmond Borough
- Multiple awards for its digital programming
All of this was achieved without a single paid staff member.
Built on volunteer passion—and facing funding challenges
Behind the scenes, the festival operates on a demanding annual cycle. Planning for each year’s event begins in late August (for 2027, on 24 August), with volunteers working seven days and seven nights a week during the busiest periods. A short summer break in July and August is the only pause.
Despite its scale and impact, the festival has no major corporate sponsor and no government funding. The volunteer team also lacks the corporate contacts in southwest London that might help them reach large companies.
Amanda is candid about the situation:
- Revenue from ticket sales and book sales “just about” covers costs
- Over £30,000 worth of books are sold during the festival weekend
- 20,000 school tickets are free, and 10,000+ tickets are sold to the public
“Sponsorship would be transformational,” she says, noting what has already been achieved with virtually no funding.
A long-standing partnership with Countess Marquees
One constant throughout the festival’s history has been the support of Sue and David from Countess Marquees. They backed the festival before a single ticket was sold and have continued to support it every year since.
Amanda describes them as part of the “festival family” and credits their belief and practical support as essential to the festival’s success today. Their marquees and infrastructure help create the welcoming, village-style atmosphere that families now associate with the festival weekend.
Looking ahead: 2026 tickets and beyond
With its biggest-ever schools programme, a re-energised identity as the London Children’s Literature Festival, and a renewed commitment to reaching every borough, 2026 is set to be a landmark year.
The vision remains clear:
- Reach every London borough with the free schools programme
- Keep the public weekend accessible, with no entrance fee and a rich free offer
- Secure sustainable funding to protect and grow the festival’s impact
- One day, take the model international
At its heart, though, the festival is still what it has always been: a group of families, volunteers and partners who believe that when children meet the authors and illustrators they love, something magical happens—and it can change lives.
Tickets for 2026 are now available for sales.
A big thank you to Liesel Bockl for these fantastic photographs.
