Books in the Park is an annual celebration of books, community, and the restorative power of nature, set in the beautiful surroundings of Beckenham Place Park.

Organised by Arts in the Park CIC – founded by the Park’s community gardeners – we wanted to combine our love of books with our love of nature and felt the park was the perfect setting for a book festival.

In April 2024, we hosted our first Books in the Park festival – an inspiring, welcoming and inclusive event with the community at its heart. We were thrilled by its success and the incredible responses we received, so on 26 April 2025, we’ll be back with another exciting programme with something for everyone!

In October last year, we were delighted to receive a grant from Lewisham Council for Black History Month which helped us to run interactive workshops at Launcelot and Athelney primary schools with children’s author Alex Falase-Koya, engaging 600 children. Building on this success, we plan to expand our schools and community programs with support from festival profits and donations.

A huge thank you goes to our volunteers, sponsors and partners who share our vision for Beckenham Place Park. Most of all, thank you to the incredible creators for bringing their stories to life.

Books in the Park isn’t just about books, it’s about bringing people together where stories and nature meet.

We cannot wait to see you there!

Frances Fuller, Angela Himus, Sue Rivas