The London Children's Literature Festival, based in Barnes, has been shortlisted in two categories at the 2026 UK Festival Awards: Best Arts & Culture Festival and Best Family Festival of the Year. Public votes count towards the winner and can be cast online. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 December.
Founded by local families in 2015, the festival is run entirely by more than 150 unpaid volunteers, and describes itself as the UK's largest children's book festival. It says it is up against "some mega music festivals". A volunteer-run book festival from Barnes deserves a minute of a resident's time, and a vote costs nothing. Whether it can beat the big music names is the question for 1 December.
- The London Children's Literature Festival, in Barnes, has been shortlisted in two categories of the 2026 UK Festival Awards: Best Arts & Culture Festival and Best Family Festival of the Year.
- Public votes count towards the winner and can be cast online.
- Winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 December.
- The festival was founded by local families in 2015 and is organised entirely by more than 150 unpaid volunteers.
- The founder and director says the festival is up against some mega music festivals and grew from a conversation at the school gate.
Every factual claim in this story is linked to the evidence behind it. Where the newsroom has added judgement or framing, it is listed separately. Sources accessed 30 October 2026.
- www.richmond.gov.uk/news/news_october_2026/vote_for_barnes_childrens_literature_ (council_statement)
Claim by claim (5 facts, 1 editorial judgements)
- The London Children's Literature Festival, in Barnes, has been shortlisted in two categories of the 2026 UK Festival Awards: Best Arts & Culture Festival and Best Family Festival of the Year. — council_statement, 2026-10-28“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!”
- Public votes count towards the winner and can be cast online. — council_statement, 2026-10-28“Public votes are counted towards the winner and you can support them by voting online.”
- Winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 December. — council_statement, 2026-10-28“The winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 December.”
- The festival was founded by local families in 2015 and is organised entirely by more than 150 unpaid volunteers. — council_statement, 2026-10-28“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.”
- The founder and director says the festival is up against some mega music festivals and grew from a conversation at the school gate. — council_statement, 2026-10-28“We're up against some mega music festivals so it's really big deal for this tiny team of volunteers”
- Judgement: A school-gate conversation that grew into the country's largest children's book festival deserves a minute of a resident's time; whether it can beat the big music names is the question for 1 December.