Trafford’s Celebration of Reading Festival 2026

This National Year of Reading, Trafford is uniting to celebrate the joy of reading at their first Celebration of Reading festival.

Held on 6 June in Urmston Library, the free festival for the community features panel discussions with authors across different genres, a local author and publisher exhibition, as well as fun all-day activities to help people discover new books, with more than 25 different authors in attendance.

A collaboration between Trafford Libraries and Urmston Books and Board Games, an independent bookshop in Urmston, the event aims to encourage a love of reading amongst the local community, and is perfectly timed to coincide with the National Year of Reading and Manchester’s Festival of Libraries.

“Trafford Libraries is absolutely delighted to be co-hosting Trafford’s Celebration of Reading with Urmston Books and Board Games as part of Greater Manchester Festival of Libraries. If you enjoy books and reading with a local slant, our packed programme on 6th June will be right up your street!” – Joanne Ball, Library Manager, Trafford Libraries

“As a bookseller, I love seeing people get hooked on new genres or writers, and helping people in our area find their new favourite book. I think chatting about books amongst friends, family or even with people you’ve just met is a great way to do this, and an event like this for the community is just the perfect opportunity to discover something new. In a time where reading for pleasure is declining, I really hope that an event like this is able to showcase the breadth of great books that are on offer and reignite our community’s curiosity and interest in reading.” – Jo Wozencroft, owner and bookseller, Urmston Books and Board Games

Trafford’s Celebration of Reading runs from 10:30am to 3:30pm on Saturday the 6 June at Urmston Library. Entry to the event is entirely free, but booking is recommended for talks and panel discussions