Final day of the Free Books Festival - join us for an exciting final day with events from Tiktok stars Big Manny and Asher Glean, children’s readings and workshops, activations by Gymshark, panels exploring Black history, workshops for the Manga fans, South-East Asian film screenings, open-house book clubs, programming from TATE and much more.
Our festival takes place across different spaces and rooms, see below for our full line-up of events all entirely free for you to attend!
The Playground
(11am - 12:15pm) - All Ages: Talk & Experiments
Science is Lit! with Big Manny, followed by Q&A with Dapo Adeola
Alright BOOM. Join TikTok sensation Big Manny, as he chats all about his upcoming book Science is Lit. Find out how to become a real-life scientist and create awesome experiments at home using ordinary ingredients. Explore the wild world of acids and alkaline, and have you ever heard of Elephant’s Toothpaste? You will also get the chance to watch one of his experiments live. Followed by in-conversation & Q&A by award-winning children’s illustrator Dapo Adeola.
(12:30pm - 1:30pm)
Writing Black History: Aniefiok Ekpoudom & Jason Okundaye
Join the brilliant social historians and authors Aniefiok Ekpoudom and Jason Okundaye as they discuss the process of writing Black history, archiving and much more.
(2pm - 3pm)
Gymshark
Join Gymshark’s fitness pros for a mid-festival wellness session.
(3:30pm - 4:30pm)
Celebrating the #Merky Books New Writers' Prize
#Merky Books is an award-winning imprint launched by Stormzy and Penguin Random House UK. Join our panel discussion with winners of the prestigious #Merky Books New Writers' Prize, William Rayfet Hunter, Jyoti Patel and Monika Radojevic, in conversation with Neelam Keshwala. The authors will be discussing their journeys as writers and their experience winning the prestigious New Writers’ Prize, along with sharing the latest on their upcoming publications.
(5pm - 6pm)
An Viêt Archives
Screening and discussions of archival films made by An Việt Archives hosted by Trà My Hickin.
(6:30pm - 7:30pm)
TikTok: Storytelling through Comedy with Asher Glean
Join TikTok star Asher Glean as he takes us through his incredible journey growing a platform through comedic storytelling.
(8pm - 9pm)
No Signal: Face the Facts with Scully
Live Podcast Recording with special guests!
Creative Debuts
(10:30am - 12:30pm) - Children’s Art & Storytelling Workshop
Memory Makers: Create Your Own Storybook
Windrush Wonders: Tales and Travel and Triumph is a children’s book that tells the true tales of three individuals from the Windrush Generation who left their homes in the Caribbean for greater opportunities in the UK. Join Kamilah McInnis - the author - and Kenya Josiah - the illustrator - for a two-hour inter-generational workshop where children and their parents come together to create a unique mini storybook. Children will interview their parents to learn about their lives, and then capture these stories through art and writing.
(2pm - 3pm)
How can we help the Congo? With Habiba Katsha & Jose Kalanda
The democratic republic of Congo is in conflict. While this conflict has been ongoing, in recent months violence has spread in Eastern Congo (Goma). As more of us in the West turn our eyes to Congo the big question is: how can we help Congolese people? Habiba Katsha will be sitting down with her mother Jose Kalanda, a human rights campaigner and immigration solicitor to discuss the history of the conflict and how we in the West can lend our support to Congolese people on the ground.
(3:15pm - 4:15pm)
How to Plot Your Manga - Kishotenketsu Story Structure with Mina Ikemoto Ghosh
For the manga and anime fans - new and old! Join debut author and illustrator, Mina Ikemoto Ghosh to learn about how manga stories are put together.
(5:30pm - 6:30pm)
Podmapping with ESEA Sisters
Podmapping is a collective care mapping exercise, first introduced by the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective (BATJC) to help people build community support systems. It helps people identify who in their lives they can call on to support with things such as our immediate and on-going safety, accountability, and transformation of behaviours, or individual and collective healing and resiliency As an exercise, podmapping helps you recognise: - How care functions, Gaps you may have in your care network, and How care can be enhanced in our lives by extending our vulnerabilities and support to others.
The Library Stage
(11am - 12pm) - Children’s Reading
TATE Story Space Presents: Sai’s Magic Silk Author Reading with Shyala Smith:
Author Shyala Smith and illustrator Jani Balakumar’s Sai’s Magic Silk is a vibrant and unique story celebrating the idea of “finding your people.” Sai loves to play with his amma’s saris. Under each six yards of magic silk, he is transported to a new world. He’s traveled from the depths of the ocean to the forests of Sinharaja—even to the moon and back! But can he find someone to share his adventures with?
(1pm - 2pm) - Children’s Event
Ramzee Hassan Vs Louie Stowell
It’s Artist Vs Artist in this EPIC Draw-Off with awesome author-illustrator talents, Louie Stowell and RAMZEE Hassan, as they go head-to-head and drawing for drawing in this interactive event. With Dapo Adeola as the MC. You won’t wanna miss it!
(2pm - 3pm) - Children’s Reading
Strong Like Me with Kelechi Okafor & Dapo Adeola
Join the phenomenal author Kelechi Okafor as she reads her debut picture book “Strong Like Me”, followed by a short conversation exploring the book’s themes and the inspiration behind it with Dapo Adeola.
(3:30pm - 4:30pm) - Children’s Reading
TATE Story Space Presents: Olu’s Teacher, A Story About Starting Preschool
Jamel Campbell addresses a common fear that children all over the world experience at the start of a new school year in a sweet, reassuring story paired with the gentle, welcoming illustrations of Lydia Mba. An author’s note addressed to grown-ups explains that meeting children’s needs in times of transition helps to build confidence, resilience, and openness to future exploration.
Think Tank
(10:30am - 11:30am)
Women’s Prize Discoveries x Black to the Future Creative Writing Workshop
Join Women’s Prize judge Irenosen Okojie to learn all about creative writing, from structuring your novel to writing those first few pages! You’ll also learn about the Discoveries writing prize, and learn all the gems on how to enter with a strong story!
(1:30pm - 3:30pm)
Songwriting & + Power of words with This Way Up CiC!
Workshop
The Front Room
(12pm - 2pm)
Read & Reclaim (Communal Reading Session)
Join the Casual Readers Club for a communal reading session. Come with your current read/ a book you'd like to read and join us for a relaxed communal reading session. We'll take up space, do some 'silent' reading and there'll be time to catch up with other community members.
(2:15pm - 2:50pm) - Children’s Book Reading
TATE Story Space Presents: Manju’s Magic Wishes Author Reading with Chitra Soundar
What if you got hold of a magic lamp and the genie gave you 7 wishes? What will you wish for? And will it be amazing or utterly disastrous? Come and listen to award-winning author and storyteller Chitra Soundar, share the story Manju’s Magic Wishes and have a go at writing your own wishes for the genie!
(3pm - 5pm)
Why Aren’t We All Readers? - Salon Discussion & Book Exchange
Join the Casual Readers Club to discuss the power of reading - this will be an open-format relaxed discussion led by India Chambers, founder of Casual Readers Club to delve into our reading habits and to try to answer the question 'Why aren't we all readers?'
We'll discuss the benefits of reading, explore our relationships with reading, we'll delve into some of the barriers to reading and challenge our perception of what a 'real reader' is. To join us, all you need to do is come ready to engage and to kick us off, come armed with one of your favourite memories of reading to share with the group.
(5:15pm - 7pm)
Anime and Chill: Community Link Up
Anime and Chill are a community of anime lovers, gamers, and content creators that pride themselves on their strides for diversity and inclusion in both the anime and gaming industries! They provide a safe space for fans of nerd culture to network, have fun, and unapologetically be themselves, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. All welcome.
(All Weekend: 10:00am - 6:00pm)
Tapestry Weaving with Synonym Lab
Interactive pop-up installation for all to take part in throughout the weekend.
(All Weekend: 10:00am - 6:00pm)
Ninentendo Gaming Station
Come play some games and relax in our Front Room space!
(All Weekend)
Caleb Femi: Before Today Endz II (Exhibition)
A documentation of Deptford through a surrealist lens by Caleb Femi.
(All Weekend)
Summer is Ours (Exhibition)
Documenting Black British London, Summer is Ours is a visual archive of our summers.