Vote for Barnes Children's Literature Festival in UK Festival Awards

The UK's largest children's book festival in Barnes has been shortlisted in two categories for the 2026 UK Festival Awards, for Best Arts & Culture Festival and Best Family Festival of the Year!

The Festival was founded by local families in 2015 and is the only national book festival that is entirely organised and delivered by over 150 unpaid volunteers.

Public votes are counted towards the winner and you can support them by voting online.

Founder and Director Amanda Brettargh describes the Festival as "literacy lovingly wrapped in community".

She said: "It takes a village to produce the London Children's Literature Festival. In thirteen years, we've grown from a conversation at our school gate to become the UK's largest kids' book festival and we're bursting with pride to be shortlisted for the UK Festival Awards.

"We're up against some mega music festivals so it's really big deal for this tiny team of volunteers who give their time and work so hard for ten months of the year to bring the magic of reading and writing to children and families,' Ms Brettargh said.

"It's what keeps us going - and growing: that every year we want to reach more children and families than ever before."

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 December.