16.05.2025
Derby Book Festival has teamed up with the Society of Authors, Derby Libraries and Derbyshire Library Service to organise a series of talks by local authors in libraries across the city and county in June with more planned in the autumn.
The talks will cover a broad range of topics – fiction and non-fiction and will include the following authors at library events in June across the city and county:
| Glossop Library James Ellson | Wednesday 4 June | 11am-12pm | Writing Crime Fiction in a House Visited by Agatha Christie – James Ellson’s shared history with the most successful mystery writer of all time |
| Mickleover Library
Sangita Dosanjh |
Wednesday 4 June | 1.30 – 2.30pm | The extraordinary story of an ordinary man is a biography by Sangita Dosanjh about her father, who arrived as an immigrant in 1954 |
| Chesterfield Library
Mark Eklid |
Thursday 5 June | 5.30 – 6.30pm | Mark Eklid: From Fact to Fiction
How a career in journalism influenced my approach to writing crime thrillers |
| Ilkeston Library
Roger Clough |
Tuesday 10 June | 11.00am – 12.30pm | Oldenland: A journey in search of the good last years. This is Roger’s first book for a non-academic audience and is a funny reflection on his journey in the land of old age, and making the most of your senior years |
| Normanton Library
Steve Orme |
Saturday 14 June | 11am – 12pm | Steve will be talking about his latest crime novel Storm Bodies |
| Sandiacre Library
Jane Bettany |
Monday 16 June | 2.00 – 3.00pm | Jane Bettany is the author of the DI Isabel Blood crime novels, set in the fictional Derbyshire town of Bainbridge, and a cosy crime series featuring amateur sleuth Violet Brewster |
| Alvaston Library
Martin Davies |
Wednesday 18 June | 1.30 – 2.30pm | Meet Martin Davies crime author |
| Borrowash Library
Steven Dunne |
Wednesday 18 June | 4.15 – 5.15pm | Meet thriller and crime writer Steven Dunne whose Reaper trilogy featured Borrowash |
| Bakewell Library
Tom Mead |
Thursday 19 June | 2 – 3pm | The mysterious world of Golden Age crime fiction
|
| Riverside Library
The Scare Sisters |
Friday 20 June | 1 – 2.30pm | Horror and effects of fear writing workshop with the Scare sisters |
| Heanor Library Clare C-Saunders | Saturday 28 June | 10.30am-12pm | Craft event and talk with best-selling children’s author |
Sian Hoyle, Derby Book Festival Director said: “Our aim is to support local authors on their writing journeys, enabling them to promote and sell their books, bring them to a wider audience and gain feedback from readers. We also want to encourage more people to attend – and join – libraries and to delight existing library members with an expanded range of activities to enjoy in the comfort of a local library.
“There will be a small charge for the events which is given to the author, who will also be selling copies of their books at the event.”
Further details of the talks are available online: https://www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/news/local-authors-to-tour-derby-derbyshire-libraries
To book tickets for the events, visit: https://www.gigantic.com/meet-your-local-author-tickets
Derby Book Festival’s Summer Festival will be held from 23 May – 1 June 2025, will include around 70 events for all the family as well as a series of writing workshops to support local writers. The full programme is now available with tickets on sale for all events, which will be held in venues across the city, including Artcore, Derby College, Derby Libraries, Derby Theatre, Electric Daisy, Landau Forte College, the Museum of Making and QUAD.
You can find more information about the Festival at www.derbybookfestival.co.uk.
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