About the festival
Inspiration for the Reading is Magic Festival came from Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2019-2022 Cressida Cowell’s key message ‘reading is magic, and magic is for everyone’. We are proud that the award-winning children’s author and creator of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once series played a key role in the festival. Themes taken from Cressida Cowell's Waterstones' Children’s Laureate Charter were woven throughout the festivals. Events addressed one or more of five of the points from the charter, declaring that ‘every child has the right to…
… be creative for at least 15 minutes a week
… have a planet to read on
… see themselves reflected in a book
…have some choice in what they read
… read for the joy of it
We teamed up with festival partners in different parts of the world, with events coming from across the globe. In 2023 the partnership of festivals and programmers was made up of Bath Children’s Literature Festival, BookTrust, Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Toronto International Festival of Authors, Bocas Lit Fest, Wigtown Book Festival, Flip Through Flanders and Black British Book Festival.
2023 Authors and Illustrators
Cressida Cowell, James and Lucy Catchpole, Danielle Y. C. McClean, Angie Thomas, Katherine Webber, Catherine Doyle, Tom Schamp, Harry Woodgate, Elle McNicoll, Aisha Busby, Lisette Auton, Cerrie Burnell, David Wolstencroft, David Almond, Tom de Freston, Sita Brahmachari, Natalie Sirett, JonArno Lawson, Steven Lenton, Tracey Corderoy, Joseph Coelho, J.T. Williams, Kimberley Whittam.
Presented by Joel Mawhinney
2022 Authors and Illustrators
Gareth P. Jones, Emily Gravett, Alake Pilgrim, Joseph Coelho, Richard O'Neill, Mara Menzies, Benjamin Zephaniah, Ella McLeod, Sophie Anderson, Lola Shoneyin, KR Onimole, Whyt Manga, Jey Odin, Seny, Pap Souleye, Sharna Jackson, Helen Rutter, Paul Jenkins, Fay Slift, Fluffy Soufflé, Swapna Haddow, Dapo Adeola, Kwame Alexander, Maranke Rinck, Martijn van der Linden.
Presented by Lauren Layfield
2021 Authors and Illustrators
Cressida Cowell, Steven Camden, Sue Hendra, Paul Linnet, Anna Wilson, Dapo Adeola, Nathan Bryon, Dara McNulty, Elle McNicoll, Anthony McGowan, Jessica Love, Eunice Olumide, Sharna Jackson, Serena Patel, Robin Stevens, The Bookshop Band, Joseph Coelho, Alex Wheatle, David Robertson, Chris Riddell, Jasbinder Bilan, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Pamela Butchart, Jason Reynolds, Sophy Henn, Steven Lenton, Steven Butler.
Presented by Mwaksy Mudenda
2020 Authors and Illustrators
Cressida Cowell, Chris Riddell, Dapo Adeola, Nathan Bryon, Jason Reynolds, Sue Hendra, Paul Linnet, Jasbinder Bilan, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Sophy Henn, Steven Lenton, Steven Butler, Joseph Coelho, Pamela Butchart, Alex Wheatle, Robin Stevens, Elle McNicoll, Anthony McGowan, Serena Patel, Sharna Jackson, Anna Wilson, Dara McAnulty, Adam Murphy, Andy Stewart, Bookshop Band, Steven Camden, Phil Earle, Kristina Stephenson, Jessica Love, Eunice Olumide, Malizah, David A. Robertson, Eloise Williams Ardo Omar, Caitlyn Bannatyne, Caitlyn Bannatyne, Katie Yamaski, Mya-Rose Craig, Katherine Woodfine, Rakaya Fetuga, Letters to the Earth and Kay Michael.
Presented by Karim Zeroual