Sutton Coldfield BookFest is a brilliant book festival brought to you by Bournville BookFest CIO in conjunction with Busy Parents Network, and FOLIO Sutton Coldfield. First held at Sutton Coldfield Library in 2019, it was such a success we’re doing it all over again!

For 2020 there's a new venue for big audiences at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, and some really amazing authors, interactive workshops and imaginative storytelling to delight children of all ages.

We aim to bring stories alive, inspire young readers and give families a chance to meet their favourite authors and illustrators. We keep ticket prices affordable and you’ll find fabulous free activities for the family to enjoy between events.

This is what families said about Sutton Coldfield BookFest 2019:

My 10-year-old reluctant poetry reader is now hooked! Thank you Sutton Coldfield BookFest! Natasha Salari

Well organised, inspiring and entertaining! We’ll definitely book more events next time. Beth Mordaunt

So much fun! I recommend it to anyone with children, whether they like to read or not - this will inspire them. Rumena Aktar


*CORONA* The UK risk level for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is currently moderate. We continue to monitor UK government advice, and ask festival-goers to follow sensible guidelines about observing good hand-washing hygiene and being careful not to spread germs.
If you had planned to attend Sutton Coldfield BookFest but suspect you may be affected please stay indoors, avoid contact with other people and contact NHS 111. If you have travelled to the worst-affected countries we ask that you don't attend the festival until you've been back in the country for 14 days - even if you don't have symptoms. An up-to-date list is on the NHS website.

FOLIO Sutton Coldfield

FOLIO Sutton Coldfield is a community group which champions library services in Sutton Coldfield. FOLIO wants to see our public libraries not just survive, but thrive at the heart of the community and one way they work towards this is by facilitating a varied and exciting programme of events in Sutton Coldfield Library. FOLIO is a registered charity.

Follow Folio Sutton Coldfield on Facebook

Folio Sutton Coldfield website

Donate

Bournville BookFest

Director Sarah Mullen launched Bournville BookFest in 2014 on a shoestring budget and no experience of running a literature festival. She won a £2000 Vision award from Bournville Village Trust to run a really high-quality children's book festival, which was also unstuffy and accessible.

Seven years later, it's one of the biggest children's book festivals in the UK and a registered charity.

We keep our prices low and use venues across the city, so they're easy to get to. We have a fantastic schools programme - Literature Out of the Box - so we can reach more children than ever before. And we're 100% committed to running BookFest on not-for-profit lines, and to paying all authors, artists and performers properly.

We couldn't do all this without funding from Arts Council England, Heart of England Community Foundation, and private sponsorship - or the generosity of our Venue Partners, who largely let us use their venues free of charge.

BookShops and Book Swap

Look out for our pop-up BookFest BookShops at BookFest. Every book bought helps pay for authors to come to our events.

In many cases you can get the books signed by the author or illustrator (or both!), which is all part of the fun of BookFest.

You can also swap old books for new at BookFest BookSwap stalls, run by the National Federation of Children's Books.

Coming to BookFest Events

We do expect all children to be accompanied by an adult, and that means - rather like going to the cinema - adults will need to buy tickets too. We hope this means you come to BookFest and have an amazing time making things, laughing and learning together. There are exceptions to the Adult Ticket Rule such as writing workshops - where grown-ups merely need to be on hand in case they are needed.

Finally, if you are bringing along older children, then babes-in-arms are free. If they are coming to one of our pre-schoolers events, then we hope you understand they will need a ticket.

Additional Needs

We want everyone to feel welcome and have a brilliant day being inspired. If someone in your party has additional needs, please contact us when you buy a ticket so we can ensure your experience goes as smoothly as possible.

If we know in advance, we can reserve seats for those with mobility or sensory issues, and we have coloured "Fast Pass" lanyards for children with hidden disabilities, who might struggle to wait in long queues.

Contact: sala@busyparentsnetwork.com or call 01214727989.

We hope you have a wonderful time at BookFest - you're guaranteed a warm welcome!

Competition Terms and Conditions

The below terms and conditions apply to all competitions run by Busy Parents Network unless specified otherwise:

  • Entry into any Busy Parents Network-promoted competition will be deemed as acceptance of the below terms and conditions
  • By entering the competition, entrants automatically give consent for their entries and any content thereof, including their name and other personal data, to be used in any and all Busy Parents Network publicity materials without notice or limitation
  • Employees of Busy Parents Network, their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition shall not be permitted to enter competitions.
  • There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter Busy Parents Network competitions.
  • No entries to the competition will be permitted after the specified closing date. Busy Parents Network reserves the right to reject competition entries on these grounds. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for any reason, even if beyond the entrant's control.
  • Prizes are non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered. Prizes are subject to availability and Busy Parents Network reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without notice.
  • The promoter’s decision in respect of the winner all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • The winner will be notified within 10 working days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 10 working days of notification, Busy Parents Network reserves the right to withdraw the prize and pick a replacement winner.
  • The Busy Parents Network reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice.