What's On

Waterstones Children's Book Festival - Dundee.
Following the enormous success of last year’s inaugural Waterstones Children’s Book Festival, our celebration of the magic of children’s literature returns in 2026. Coming to Dundee from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 February and jam-packed with author events, workshops, activities and more, book your tickets now for a truly unmissable event.

Calling all budding writers! You are invited to join us a truly special event with three incredible children’s authors - Peter Burns (Shadow Thieves), L.D. Lapinski (Artezans series) and Siobhan McDermott (Paper Dragons series). Each author will introduce their latest magical adventure books and will discuss and share their writing techniques, where they get ideas from, and how they create their magical worlds and fantastic characters. You will also be able to put your questions to the authors during this special event. This brilliantly bookish event will be chaired by bookseller, Rhiannon Tripp.

L.D. Lapinski lives in the Scottish Highlands with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. They are the author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency and Artezans trilogies, the standalone novel Jamie, The Biggest Christmas Secret Ever and Stepfather Christmas. They have also written for BBC's Doctor Who books and write stories for grown-ups as Lucy Lapinska. L.D. collects tattoos and Sanrio merch, enjoys watching the wildlife from their office window, and when they grow up would like to be a free-range guinea pig farmer. You can find them on social media @ldlapinski or at ldlapinski.com

Peter Burns is the author of ten critically acclaimed non-fiction sports books and has been nominated for numerous awards, including twice for the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year. The truth, however, is that he’s always wanted to write children’s books, so Shadow Thieves is a dream come true. Peter studied English at the University of St Andrews before gaining a Masters in publishing at Napier University. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife, four kids and a slightly nervous cocker spaniel. He isn’t a Thief, a Spy, an Assassin or a Politico. Or is he?

Siobhan McDermott was born in Hong Kong and grew up on a steady stream of stories filled with Chinese legends and Irish folklore. She now lives in the UK and continues to order dim sum in Cantonese tinged with a distinctly Dublin lilt. Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm is her debut novel and was chosen as Waterstones Children's Book of the Month. Her debut was inspired by moments across her life: from childhood ferry trips between Lantau Island and Hong Kong, to travelling around Taiwan, Italy and Spain.

Suitable for ages 7 plus but this event is perfect anyone interested in writing stories.

Buy Tickets

Information published by Leisure and Culture Dundee.