Dapo Adeola and Yomi Sode to attend Free Books Festival as new Tate Publishing collaboration launched

Dapo Adeola, Yomi Sode and Sophie Mackintosh are featured in the line-up for the third annual festival of the Free Books Campaign, which has also launched a new collaboration with Tate Publishing.

The collaboration will see monthly donations of Tate exhibition tickets, adult and children’s books, as well as a Tate Story Space at the festival.

The free three-day festival runs from Friday 19th July to Sunday 21st July 2024, and will take place at the BSix Sixth Form College in Hackney, London. The Tate coordinator is Cherise Lopes-Baker and the festival has been curated by founder Sofia Akel, as well as festival patrons including Candice Carty-Williams, Bolu Babalola, Sara Collins and others.

A celebration of storytelling in all its forms, the festival will include events across the visual arts, gaming, fitness, food and reading. Free food and books will be available across the weekend. 

“This year’s festival is a true testament to the power of community, everyone involved is volunteering their time, resources and networks to make this the biggest festival to date," said Sofia Akel, the founder of the Free Books Campaign and Free Books Festival. "I’m tremendously honoured to have Sampha — who’s vision and ear I admire so greatly — to be headlining alongside Caleb Femi, who I’m honoured to call a friend and an inspiration. His writing has opened up the world of poetry to so many of us who didn’t feel we belonged there.”

Event partners this year include Inclusive Books for Children, #MerkyBooks, the Women’s Prize and more.