Enjoy a live author event with The Children's Bookshow 2025

The Children's Bookshow autumn programme for primary schools across England has been announced. The organisation is offering a range of author events - including perfomances and writing workshops - at theatres around the country for primary-aged children.

These experiences are designed to encourage creativity and promote the joy of reading, writing and drawing to primary school children.

The Children's Bookshow aims to bring the best children's authors and illustrators from the UK and abroad to local theatre venues, giving teachers and primary school children the opportunity to hear world-class artists talk about their work, and helping to inspire a love of reading, writing and drawing in young children.

The tour includes 12 one-hour performances over the autumn term at theatres in cities including Newcastle, Hull, London, Ipswich, Bristol and Portsmouth. The programme starts at The Blackpool Grand on Friday 19th September, and finishes at Peterborough New Theatre on Monday 17th November. Four free in-school workshops are available in each tour location; schools can express interest in the workshops when booking their event tickets, which cost £7 per child.

Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, bestselling author, Katherine Rundell and critically-acclaimed poet, Matt Goodfellow, are all taking part in the programme. International artists include Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson who will travel to Wolverhampton from the West Coast of America; and illustrator and artist Sarthak Sinha, who will be coming all the way from India to draw live on stage in Exeter

During The Children's Bookshow events, authors and illustrators introduce their work, talk about their working lives, show children the paint brushes and notebooks that they use, and talk about the tools and tricks of their trade. In doing this, they offer children a real insight into what it means to work creatively.

Every child who attends an event is given a book by the artist performing to take home and keep. Titles that will be given away this year include Matt Goodfellows' bestseller The Final Year; 2023 Children's Fiction Book of the Year, Tyger by SF Said; Rebecca Cobb and Mariesa Dulak's Oscar's Book Prize shortlisted picture book, There's a Tiger on the Train; and hardback copies of Frank Cottrell-Boyce's novel, The Blockbusters.

Kate Arafa, co-director of The Children's Bookshow, said: “The exceptional authors, poets and illustrators who we work with bring the joy of reading alive for children. I am proud to announce such an inspiring line-up of events that will delight children and teachers alike, and spark enthusiasm for reading that lasts well beyond the theatre performances and creative workshops."

This year will mark the 23rd Children's Bookshow tour, and the 23rd year that Michael Rosen has joined the programme. Michael is one of the UK's finest childrenʼs poets and authors. He is a patron of The Children's Bookshow and has been a part of the charity's programme of live literature events every year since they began. Michael's performance at Belgrade Theatre in Coventry will be an inspiring and exhilarating hour of poetry in performance.

The Children's Bookshow Events include:

Katherine Rundell performance, Blackpool, Friday 19th September
Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson performance, Wolverhampton, Monday 29th September
Michael Rosen performance, Coventry, Monday 6th October
Matt Goodfellow performance, Bristol, Wednesday 8th October
Owen Sheers and Helen Stephens performance, Hull, Tuesday 14th October
Rebecca Cobb and Mariesa Dulak performance, Milton Keynes, Monday 20th October
Frank Cottrell-Boyce performance, London, Wednesday 22nd October
Catherine Rayner performance, Newcastle, Monday 3rd November
Yasmeen Ismail performance, Portsmouth, Wednesday 5th November
Catherine Johnson performance, Ipswich, Thursday 6th November
Alom Shaha and Sarthak Sinha performance, Exeter, Tuesday 11th November
SF Said performance, Peterborough, Monday 17th November

Find out more at The Children's Bookshow website