Join us for World Book Night 2026!

Derby City Council’s Derby Libraries team continues to celebrate the National Year of Reading 2026 by hosting a series of events for World Book Night.

This annual celebration on Thu 23 Apr invites everyone to dedicate time to reading in any format, whether it is a physical book, an audiobook, or reading to children at bedtime.

Derby Libraries will have special book displays, a Meet the Author event and be distributing free books around the city. The aim is to encourage everyone, whether they think of themselves as a reader or not, to pick up a book for pleasure.

Residents are encouraged to participate in the national #ReadingHour from 7pm to 8pm on 23 Apr, and join the conversation online. To support this, libraries across the city will feature special book displays and a dedicated World Book Night collection in the eLibrary.

At the heart of World Book Night 2026 are Quick Reads, short books and great stories by bestselling written in an accessible and easy-to-read style. To ensure these stories reach everyone, Derby Libraries is partnering with Derby Food4Thought to distribute free copies of Louise Jensen's The Woman Next Door at local food banks, encouraging new readers to discover the resources available at their local library.

Visitors to Derby libraries can also take part in a book-themed quiz. Participants are invited to share their favourite books and the reasons they love them; the results will be compiled into a Top 10 list to be shared on social media.

The celebrations continue on Thu 30 Apr at Mickleover Library, with a special Meet the Author event featuring acclaimed crime novelist Stephen Booth. Known for the Cooper and Fry series set in the Peak District – recently adapted into a hit Channel 5 television series – Booth will discuss his career and his transition from local journalism to international storytelling. The event is funded by the Mickleover User Group.

The National Year of Reading, spearheaded by the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust, aims to encourage people of all ages to ‘Go All In’ – dive deeper into the hobbies and passions they already love through the power of reading, in whatever format suits them best.

Find more information about your local library and what’s on offer on the Derby Libraries website.