Looking for some author magic to sprinkle over your World Book Day 2023 celebrations? Why not sign up for one of the many online events that are taking place over World Book Day week? There are events for pupils of all ages and many of them are free. Check out our schedule and find the event that’s right for you and your pupils.

Monday 27th February

• Awesome Authorfest:  Eileen Browne, creator of the magical Handa books, leads a fun and lively session that will involve lots of sound effects and actions.
  • Registration is required and the cost is £150 per school.
  • Suitable for Nursery, Reception and Year 1.
• Scholastic Schools Live – Fairy Tales: Explore the magic of fairy tales with best-selling picture book duo Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
  • Free with registration
  • Suitable for ages 3+.
• World Book Day/BookTrust – Everyday Adventures: Join Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and author Sophy Henn for an online session based on World Book Day title Lifesize Creepy Crawlies. Share poems, rhymes and songs and join in a creepy crawly bug hunt.
  • Free.
  • Suitable for Early Years.
  • Teaching materials available.
• World Book Day/BookTrust – Everyday Fun: Join Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and picture book creator Tom Percival for an online session based on World Book Day title Billy’s Bravery. Share poems, rhymes and songs and join in with an inspiring draw-along.
  • Free.
  • Suitable for Early Years.
  • Teaching materials available.
• World Book Day/BookTrust – Everyday Routine: Join Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and bestselling author Joe Wicks for an online session based on World Book Day title Bedtime for the Burpee Bears. Share poems, rhymes and songs and have fun moving your body.
  • Free.
  • Suitable for Early Years.
  • Teaching materials available.
• World Book Day/National Literacy Trust – The Great World Book Day Draw-Along: Shwapna Haddow and Sheena Dempsey, author and illustrator of  World Book Day title Dave Pigeon: Bookshop Mayhem, lead a fun-packed event with top tips for creating your own stories and a live draw-along to help get you started.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 5-8.
• World Book Day/National Literacy Trust – Being an Ally: Natalie and Naomi Evans talk about their contributions to World Book Day title Being an Ally: Real Talk about Showing Up, Screwing Up and Trying Again, a collection of true stories exploring how to be a better ally, support others and stand up against injustice.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 11-14.

Tuesday 28th February

• Awesome Authorfest: Dean Atta discusses his acclaimed YA novels The Black Flamingo and Only on the Weekends and shares his journey as a writer.
  • Registration is required and the cost is £150 per school.
  • Suitable for Years 8, 9 and 10.
• Awesome Authorfest: Join best-selling author Chris Smith as he talks about his epic adventure Frankie Best Hates Quests, an accessible read that combines gaming, fantasy and a feisty heroine.
  • Registration is required and the cost is £150 per school.
  • Suitable for Years, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
• Scholastic Schools Live – Dick the Delightful Duck: Kaye Umansky, author of the bestselling Pongwiffy series, shares her latest book Dick the Delightful Duck, a rhyming picture book about the importance of friendship.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 3+.
• Scholastic Schools Live – The Diary of Sarah Forbes Bonetta: Find out more about the extraordinary life of orphaned African princess Sarah Forbes Bonetta as author Victoria Princewill talks about her latest book The Diary of Sarah Forbes Bonetta and shares how she went about reimagining Sarah’s life in 19th Century England.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 12+

Wednesday 1st March

• Awesome Authorfest: Award-winning author and illustrator Steve Antony shares some of his bestselling picture books in a session full of his signature warmth and humour.
  • Registration is required and the cost is £150 per school.
  • Suitable for Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 2.
• Puffin Story Makers Show: Join Dr Sheila Kanani, Henry Paker and Lucy Hawking in this Story Makers non-fiction special. Find out if you can get rainbows in space, dissect some brilliant brains and investigate the wrong weather in the Story Makers laboratory.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for KS2.
  • Teaching materials available.
• Scholastic Schools Live – Lisa Thompson: Can you solve an escape room from your classroom? Get ready to solve some clues as Lisa Thompson talks about her acclaimed novel The Rollercoaster Boy and shares an extract from her soon-to-be-published book The Treasure Hunters.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 9+.

Thursday 2^nd March

• Awesome Authorfest: Former Children’s Laureate and award-winning author Cressida Cowell introduces her brand-new book Which Way to Anywhere and shares some of her writing and illustration tips.
  • Registration is required and the cost is £150 per school.
  • Suitable for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
• Join best-selling author Tom Palmer for a live event based on Resist, his latest historical fiction title set in Nazi-occupied Holland. Explore the idea of resistance and how writing can also be a form of resistance in this interactive event with the Anne Frank Trust.
  • Free.
  • Suitable for UKS2 and KS3 pupils.
• National Literacy Trus – Footy & Booky Quiz: Join in this online quiz featuring two rounds of football-themed and reading-themed questions designed to promote reading in a fun and interactive way. Hosted by a top sports presenter with contributions from footballing heroes and authors.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for Years 4, 5, 6 and 7.
• Settle Stories – Dave Pigeon Mayhem with Swapna Haddow: Join award-winning children’s author Swapna Haddow for an interactive writing workshop based on her Dave Pigeon series that will include readings from her books, top writing tips and a classroom scavenger hunt to start you off on your own story.
  • £5 per class log-in.
  • Suitable for KS1.
  • Teaching materials available.
• Settle Stories – Three Little Pigs & Other Stories: Join in the fun with storyteller Sita Brand as she shares stories from around the world with the help of her puppets in an interactive session for the Early Years.
  • £5 per class log-in.
  • Suitable for Early Years.
  • Teaching materials available.
• Settle Stories – An Afternoon of Stories: Discover stories from all over the world with Master Storyteller Nothando Zulu as she introduces KS2 pupils to the ancient art of storytelling and the special role of the storyteller.
  • £5 per class log-in.
  • Suitable for years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
  • Teaching materials available.
• Scholastic Schools Live – How to be Funny: Comedy Club 4 Kids and best-selling author Helen Rutter share some of their top tips on how to write comedy with inspiration from Helen’s latest book The Funniest Boy in the World.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 8+.
• Scholastic Schools Live – This is Me!: Join BAFTA-winning CBeebies presenter George Webster and his collaborator Claire Taylor as they talk about creativity, celebrating our differences and their debut book This is Me! With live drawing by illustrator Tim Budgen, interactive games and a special guest appearance, this promises to be a lively and engaging event for younger children.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 3+.
• World Book Day/BBC Teach: Celebrate the joy of books, authors and reading for pleasure with interactive activities in a 30-minute Live Lesson from BBC Teach.
  • Free.
  • Suitable for years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
  • Teaching materials available.

Friday 3^rd March

• The Children’s Bookshow: Join Yasmeen Ismail live as she reads from her best-selling picture books and talks about her life as an author and illustrator.
  • From £10 for a single log-in.
  • Suitable for Years 1, 2 and 3.
• The Children’s Bookshow: Bestselling author Frank Cottrell-Boyce will be reading extracts from his books, sharing some of his top writing tips and answering questions from the audience in this live online event.
  • From £10 for a single log-in.
  • Suitable for Years 4, 5 and 6.
• ReadingZone Bookclub: Andy Jones will be introducing his hilarious new book Bob vs the Selfie Zombies in this interactive online event.
  • Free.
  • Suitable for Years 3 -6.
• Awesome Authorfest: William Hussey talks about his highly acclaimed YA books Hideous Beauty and The Outrage.
  • Registration is required and the cost is £150 per school.
  • Suitable for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10.
• Scholastic Schools Live – Luna Wolf: Alesha Dixon, author, singer and Britain’s Got Talent judge introduces her brand new children’s book series Luna Wolf! and talks about the importance of heritage and culture and ensuring that all children can see themselves reflected in her books.
  • Free with registration.
  • Suitable for ages 7+.

If none of the scheduled events are what you are looking for, don’t forget that Authors Live and ReadingZone all have libraries of recorded events and author interviews that you can access for free. And there are more resources to help you celebrate on the World Book Day entry on our Literacy Year calendar.

Happy World Book Day 2023!