As Scotland marks the National Year of Reading, the Edinburgh International Book Festival will launch its 2026 Schools Programme (running Monday 24 – Friday 28 August 2026) with a week of author events, creative activity and classroom resources designed to support teachers, school librarians and home educators at the start of the academic year.
The timing is pointed. New research from the National Literacy Trust (published January 2026, based on a survey of 7,739 children and young people aged 8-18 across 61 Scottish schools) reports that 30.3% of children and young people in Scotland say they enjoy reading in their free time, and only 1 in six read daily – a sharp reminder of how much reading cultures need practical, confidence‑building support.
The 2026 Schools Programme offers multiple routes for participation: schools can visit in person, join selected events via livestream (with on‑demand access afterwards), and draw on a bank of Learning Resources intended for standalone lessons or to expand a Book Festival visit. Digital participation options are explicitly free.
For in‑person visits, pupils will be able to see writers and illustrators live, take part in event Q&As, and, on Wednesday 26 August and Thursday 27 August, explore the Discovery Zone(drop‑in activities 10:00–14:00, located on Level 2) delivered with partner organisations including Edinburgh Libraries, Super Power Agency, and Kids in Cyber.
Across the programme, the Book Festival’s emphasis is on access: every pupil receives a free book, thanks to the support of Claire and Mark Urquhart, and schools can apply for free tickets for pupils who might otherwise miss out, as well as support from a transport fund. Tickets are priced at £4 per pupil, with one free adult ticket per ten pupil tickets (with flexibility where higher ratios are needed for access reasons).
Author highlights (2026)
The programme features a wide range of writers and illustrators for primary and secondary years, including Jacqueline Wilson, Paterson Joseph, Patrick Ness, Katherine Rundell, Manjeet Mann, and others across the week, with themed days including a Primary School Gala Day (Wed 26 Aug) and Secondary School Teen Takeover Day (Thu 27 Aug).
