A massive book festival is taking over Alexandra Palace this weekend

If your idea of a good weekend in London involves books, a bit of culture and somewhere decent to sit down with a drink, this might be worth pencilling in.

The North London Book Festival is back from 23 to 26 April, taking over Alexandra Palace for four days of readings, talks, workshops and general literary wandering about.

It’s a fairly broad church; you’ve got big names, newer voices and a mix of genres that doesn’t lean too heavily in one direction. Among those appearing this year are Alan Hollinghurst, Tessa Hadley, Natalie Haynes and Michael Rosen, who will also be marking his 80th birthday with readings and performances.

There’s also a solid mix of newer and contemporary voices, including Natasha Brown, Ben Aaronovitch and Rachel Parris, alongside writers like Laura Bates and Jeffrey Boakye.

The festival opens on the 23rd of April with Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason introducing her book To Be Young, Gifted and Black, with live music from Braimah and Konya Kanneh-Mason alongside it. It sets the tone for the rest of the weekend, which mixes straight-up author talks with panels, Q&As and a few less standard events.

It’s not just aimed at serious readers either. There’s a decent family offering, with events designed to get kids involved without it feeling like homework. Think creative workshops, storytelling sessions and the chance to dress up as historical figures with Kate Pankhurst, plus sessions with Onjali Q. Raúf and poet Simon Mole.

Away from the talks, there’s the usual festival extras. A bookshop run by Waterstones means you can pick something up on the day and get it signed, and there’s food and drink on hand, so you can make a proper afternoon of it rather than rushing between sessions.

The whole thing also runs alongside Alexandra Palace’s children’s book award, which adds a bit more activity around the site, plus some extra events and performances.

We suggest you pick a couple of talks you actually care about, leave some time to wander, and you’ll probably come away with at least one book you didn’t intend to buy. You can book tickets for the talks you wish to attend here.

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