A joyful celebration of stories, creativity, and imagination is coming to life in Taunton later this year!
The Waterstones Children’s Book Festival will be held from Friday, 15th May to Sunday, 17th May, bringing a lively lineup of author talks, workshops, and storytelling fun across the town.
This festival is all about sharing the happiness of reading, writing, and illustrating with young audiences in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Join in at wonderful venues like Waterstones Taunton and the Taunton Brewhouse, where you’ll meet talented children’s authors, enjoy engaging writing and comic workshops, take part in draw-alongs, craft sessions, and so much more.
Gary Deane, the children’s events co-ordinator at Waterstones, shared his excitement:
“We’re delighted to host this year’s Children’s Book Festival on an even larger scale in 2026, celebrating the National Year of Reading.
“Events with amazing authors and illustrators are a fantastic way to introduce kids to the exciting world of stories and the joy of sharing them.
“We’re eagerly looking forward to welcoming our young friends in Taunton and sharing our love for books with everyone!”
Building on the success of the first Waterstones Children’s Book Festival in Lincoln in 2025, this year’s event will also be held in Dundee and will include special activities for our preschool friends.
Poppy Flaxman, the friendly bookshop manager at Waterstones Taunton, expressed her enthusiasm:
“We are so excited to host the Waterstones Children’s Book Festival right here in Taunton!
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for children from Somerset and across the South West to meet their favorite authors and illustrators, and to get creative in awesome workshops.
“We’re expecting lots of fun and can’t wait to celebrate the magical world of children’s books and the joy of reading together!”
You can find the full schedule of events and book your tickets here .
Kicking off on Friday, 15th May, there’ll be free school events at the Brewhouse Theatre, featuring talks from beloved authors like Katherine Rundell, Rob Biddulph, and A.F. Steadman.
Pre-schoolers can join special sessions on Friday in the studio theatre, with appearances from Rachel Bright, Robert Tregoning, Joseph Coelho, and Fiona Lumbers.
There will also be exciting storytelling sessions at the Waterstones Taunton shop.
The fun continues all weekend with a full lineup of author talks, workshops, and creative activities. Some highlights include special appearances by Anna James and Emma Carroll, the exciting launch of Adventuremice with Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre, and a dino-tastic event featuring children’s television star Andy Day!
There will be workshops like a comic book session with Tom McLaughlin, writing workshops with Holly Webb, and storytelling events with Tracey Corderoy.
Enjoy this wonderful adventure into the amazing world of children’s books and the magic of reading!
