BBC Northern Ireland and Libraries NI launch Book Week 2026

Book Week 2026 will take place from 19-25 October and will include BBC programmes and features and an ambitious programme of events in libraries big and small across the region.

Book Week 2026 was launched yesterday (1 October) at a special event with Executive Ministers, civic representatives and special guests in Belfast Central Library.

Book Week is a joint initiative between the BBC and Libraries NI and celebrates books, reading and libraries and everything that they make possible. It will include events across the whole library network and some specially commissioned BBC features and reports.

Photo: Communities Minister Gordon Lyons; Bonnie Anley, Chair of Libraries NI; Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly; Adam Smyth, BBC Northern Ireland; Jim O’Hagan, Chief Executive of Libraries NI; and Education Minister Paul Givan at the Book Week NI 2026 launch.

Well-known BBC presenters will be sharing their book recommendations in a series of short films and there’ll be an abundance of book-related music from stage and screen on BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle, including another opportunity to enjoy A Box of Delights, the Ulster Orchestra’s concert for Book Week in 2022. It includes music from Mary Poppins, Harry Potter, Matilda, Paddington Bear and much more and will be broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle as Book Week is about to begin at 7.00pm on 18 October.

Lots of schools and colleges will be getting involved with Book Week and there are free downloadable resources for them to use, including bookmarks, posters and bunting, on the BBC’s Book Week 2026 website at: bbc.co.uk/bookweekni

Love Your Library Day on Wednesday 21 October is always a highlight of Book Week busyness and there’s an invitation for everyone to get along to their local library to join in the fun and borrow and book or two or renew their library membership.

Libraries NI has developed its most ambitious ever programme of events for Book Week, including In Conversation… events with well-known local authors. Wendy Erskine, Colin Patterson, Martina Devlin, Linda Hagan, John Banville and many more will be joining the big Book Week conversation in library spaces across the region. A full listing of events and booking details are available here.

Photo:  Mark Simpson and Stephen Nolan, BBC NI

Mark Adair, BBC NI’s Head of Corporate and Community Affairs says: ‘Book Week celebrates reading and the role that libraries play in the life of our community. Libraries and the BBC connect us with home, each other and the wider world. And our enduring partnership makes Book Week and many other good things possible.’

Dr Jim O’Hagan, Libraries NI Chief Executive says: “Book Week NI is always a highlight in our calendar. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate the enjoyment of reading while also showcasing the strength of the public library service and the important role libraries play in communities right across Northern Ireland.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with BBC Northern Ireland and I would encourage everyone to get involved. Come along to an event, pick up a book, try an author you haven’t read before or simply share a favourite read. And on Love Your Library Day on 21 October, make a point of visiting your local library and joining in – it’s a great way to celebrate what Book Week NI is all about.”

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA said: “I know first-hand the value of books and reading. Most of us can remember a book that inspired us, a story that captivated us, or a character who stayed with us long after we turned the final page.

“Books have a unique ability to transport us to different worlds, introduce us to new ideas, help us see different perspectives, and understand experiences beyond our own. But reading is about much more than books alone. It is about opportunity. It is about learning. It is about imagination. It is about connection.

“During Book Week NI 2026, I encourage everyone to make the most of their local library – attend an event, pick up a new book and share your love of reading with others. You never know where a story might take you.”