Sponsored Editorial: 2 Rivers Children's Book Festival 2026

What childhood books and stories live on in your imagination - or in your life?

Did ʻPaddingtonʼ inspire a travel adventure to deepest, darkest Peru? Or the ʻHorrible Historiesʼ lead you in search of Groovy Greeks?

Perhaps Robert Macfarlaneʼs ʻLost Wordsʼ instilled a love of the natural world, or ʻFrank & Bertʼ helped you find a good friend.

Books have that strange power to transport us to different times and places and they are never quite so magical as when we are young.

So as part of the National Year of Reading 2026 weʼre delighted to bring back the 2 Rivers Childrenʼs Book Festival to Dumbarton (and Balloch), and this year itʼs even bigger and better than last!

Kick-start your October week break with a day of FREE literary fun alongside our exciting line-up of Scotland-based childrenʼs authors, illustrators and storytellers.

For younger audiences (and their accompanying adults) there are several events, including picture book writers Alison Murray, who will introduce you to her new book 'Cat's Halloween', and Morag Hood, who will take you on an underwater adventure with 'Seahorse is Furious and There's Nothing You Can Do About It'.

Comic book and graphic novel fans won't want to miss sessions with The Phoenix Comic regular, Adam Murphy.

Or you might want to wind down the day with stories and lullabies by award winning illustrator, Jill Calder, and harpist Pippa Reid Foster.

Taking on board feedback from last yearʼs Festival we are introducing a range of YA authors and storytellers.

These will include award-winning author, actress and playwright Manjeet Mann who will host an interactive session blending lively discussion and hands-on creative writing exercises; Gill Arbuthnott will focus on her brilliant new non-fiction book 'All in the Mind'; and acclaimed author and spoken word poet Chris McQueer will bring his expertise to a session for aspiring young writers!

We also have creative drop-in activities led by Dumbartonʼs Clifftop Projects and the Glasgow Zine Library.

And there will be more creativity and community storytelling from Joanne Marr, who will host two inclusive storytelling sessions, and the multi-talented former Scots Scriever Susi Briggs who's session will be BSL interpreted.

You can also pick up a book - or several - to enjoy at your leisure courtesy of Moonlight Rainbow Booksʼ pop-up childrenʼs bookshop which will be in Dumbarton Parish Church Hall from 11am - 3pm (quiet hour 12.30 - 1.30pm).

All this will be happening in one day - October 12 - across various locations in Dumbarton and one in Balloch.

And thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Scottish Books Trust, it wonʼt cost you a penny!

Most events need to be booked in advance to allow us to manage capacity and all under-14s need to be accompanied by an adult.

Check out our website for details and any other questions you may have at 2riversfest.co.uk or our Instagram page @2riversfest_dumbarton