I first attended the Bookfest as an undergrad in 2015, between my second and final year. I remember reading on the grass in the sun, browsing the shop and seeing authors just wander around. I’ve returned in 2023, now a qualified secondary English teacher with an even deeper love and understanding of the importance of books and reading. I was inspired to hear Malorie Blackman this year, a writer whose books I read as a student, and have now recently been teaching and advocating in my classroom. It felt like a full circle, of sorts!

A Rauf