About Us About Black British Book Festival

Welcome to the Black British Book Festival!

The Black British Book Festival (BBBF) is Europe’s largest Black literature festival and a leading cultural organisation championing Black British books, writers and readers.

Founded in 2021, BBBF has grown into a powerful year-round platform working across publishing, education, libraries, prisons, festivals and communities. We create opportunities for Black writers, connect readers with books that reflect their experiences, and work with some of the UK’s biggest publishers and cultural institutions.

Our work goes far beyond one annual event. We deliver national programmes, community libraries, author development, schools initiatives, industry partnerships and major cultural experiences designed to strengthen the entire Black British literary ecosystem.

At the heart of everything we do is one ambition: to make Black British literature more visible, more valued and more accessible — and to build lasting cultural infrastructure for generations to come.

Our Impact

Since launching in 2021, the Black British Book Festival has grown into Europe’s largest Black literature festival and a major year-round cultural platform.

Our work now reaches far beyond the festival:

* 6,000 festival attendees in a single day, bringing together readers, families, writers and the publishing industry.

* 50+ authors and creatives featured across our flagship festival programme.

* Two Black Book Community Libraries established to improve access to Black literature.

* Schools and education programmes connecting children and young people with books, authors and reading for pleasure.

* Prison programmes taking books, writers and literary experiences into communities often excluded from mainstream cultural provision.

* Major publishing partnerships with organisations including Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Hachette, Simon & Schuster and Audible.

* National cultural programming, with BBBF events and collaborations at Glastonbury, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival and beyond.

* Writer development and industry initiatives creating tangible opportunities for emerging Black British writers.

From Festival to Cultural Institution

What began as a festival has become something much bigger.

BBBF works year-round to change the landscape of British literature — increasing access to books, creating opportunities for writers, developing the next generation of readers and ensuring Black British stories have the visibility and investment they deserve.

We are building more than an annual celebration. We are building lasting infrastructure for Black British literature.

Looking Ahead

Our ambition is to become the leading global platform for Black British literature and storytelling, while continuing to deepen our impact across communities throughout the UK.

Through festivals, education, community programmes, publishing partnerships and writer development, we will continue creating spaces where Black stories are not simply included, but valued, invested in and placed at the centre of British culture.

2024: A New Chapter

As we look forward to our fourth edition on Saturday, 5th October 2024, we are thrilled to announce that the Black British Book Festival will be partnering with the iconic Barbican Centre in London for the first time. This exciting new venue offers a larger stage for us to showcase the incredible talent within the Black British literary community.

Join us as we continue to create opportunities for Black British writers, celebrate their contributions to literature, and inspire future generations. The 2024 Black British Book Festival promises to be our most dynamic and impactful event yet—an unmissable day of culture, creativity, and connection.

Stay tuned for our line-up and ticket information, and be part of a festival that champions the stories that need to be told and encourages a lifelong love of reading in marginalised communities.

Selina Brown

Founder and CEO

Selina Brown is an award-winning author, cultural leader and Founder & CEO of the Black British Book Festival, Europe’s largest Black literature festival.

Since launching BBBF in 2021, she has grown it into a major cultural platform working across publishing, education and communities.

Selina is also a Penguin Random House children’s author and recipient of the Queen’s Reading Room National Reading Hero Medal, recognised for her contribution to books, reading and representation.