BOOKS IN THE PARK literature festival returns to Beckenham Place Park, southeast London on Saturday 26 April.
After the success of its first festival in 2024, Books in the Park has grown its programme, promising a packed day of author talks for adults and children, guided walks and writing workshops.
Adult events will take place in the Mansion, a Grade II listed building at the heart of the park, and children’s events will be held in the Homestead Education Centre, part of the park’s lovingly restored Homestead stables and courtyard.
Authors appearing at the festival include Sunday Times bestseller Chloe Dalton who will discuss her memoir Raising Hare, recently longlisted for the Women’s Prize for non-fiction; Kaliane Bradley, whose smash-hit novel The Ministry of Time was one of the most-talked about debuts of 2024; British Book Award winner and ‘Queen of Tricksy Crime’ Janice Hallett will talk about her latest whodunnit The Examiner; writer and Woodland Trust ambassador Jules Acton will celebrate the history of the oak tree and discuss her latest book Oaklore; and cheesemonger Ned Palmer will host a French cheese-tasting for his book The Cheesemonger’s Tour de France. South London authors Louise Hare, Annie Lyons and Amelia Kyazze complete the adult programme for a panel spotlighting local talent, where they’ll discuss writing historical fiction.
Children’s events include a storytime session for 0-5 years with Mariesa Dulak, author of There’s a Tiger on the Train; writer and illustrator Allison Parkinson will run a fun and interactive storycrafting workshop for children aged 6-9; Joséphine Seblon and Robert Sae-Hung will take young readers on a Mini Architects
journey of mythical labyrinths and ancient buildings; international bestseller Jack Meggitt-Phillips will deliver an interactive event with puppetry for the latest book in his series The Beast and the Bethany; and award-winning YA fantasy author Abiola Bello will share writing tips in a special Young Adult Writing Workshop for ages 12+.
For aspiring writers, the festival also offers poetry, flash fiction and fiction writing workshops for adults, led by writers Helen Bowell, Anita Goveas and Annie Lyons.
Local independent Beckenham Bookshop is the festival’s bookseller and will run a pop-up bookshop in the Mansion throughout the day. Other activities confirmed include a Food and Farmers Market, a sewing school, nature walks led by Wild South London and more.
Festival director Frances Fuller said:
“We are thrilled to be hosting our second literature festival following the amazing success of Books in the Park last year. This year’s festival promises to be bigger and better. We’re bringing together an incredible lineup that should inspire readers and aspiring writers of all ages, set in the beautiful surroundings of Beckenham Place Park.
“Whether you’re a keen book lover, just discovering the magic of storytelling, or want a fun day out with the family, we invite you to join us for a day of creativity, discovery and community.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticket Source (link: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/books-in-the-park) and www.booksinthepark.org (link https://www.booksinthepark.org/)
Follow Books in the Park here:
BlueSky: @booksinthepark
Instagram: booksintheparkfestival
Facebook: booksintheparkfestival
For more information please visit www.booksinthepark.org or contact enquiries@booksinthepark.org
BOOKS IN THE PARK is proudly sponsored by Beckenham Bookshop, Beckenham Place Park Community Gardeners, Bromley Old Town Hall, Eva’s Energy Ltd, The Homestead Café, John D Wood & Co., Jones Nickolds, Life In…Magazines, Purelake, Raygun, Group 1 Volkswagen Bromley
