About the festival
Inspiration for the name comes from Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2019-2022 Cressida Cowell’s key message ‘reading is magic, and magic is for everyone’. We are excited that the award-winning children’s author and creator of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once series plays a key role in the festival. Themes taken from Cressida Cowell's Waterstones' Children’s Laureate Charter are woven throughout the festival week. Each of the events will address 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’s programme included Joseph Coelho, Harry Woodgate, David Almond, Benjamin Zephaniah, Cressida Cowell and more.
Take a Look Back at Reading is Magic Festival from Previous Years
Step back into a world of creativity with the Reading is Magic Festival 2020, 2021 and 2022. For a small one-off fee of £5 you can experience the magic of past years with videos from our wonderful authors and illustrators.
All of the events from the past three festivals are now available to access for a small one-off fee of £5, click here to sign up or here to log in if you are an existing member.
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