Waterstones are thrilled to host the second Candid Book Club Festival at the French Protestant Church of London. Join us for a day of talks with bestselling authors, a chance to get your books signed and of course, take part in candid discussions about books! The festival this year will feature Safiya Sinclair, Nikesh Shukla, June Sarpong, Saima Mir, Kelechi Okafor and more to be announced.

All day general admission tickets including goody bag are now SOLD OUT.

Standard all day general admission tickets are now on sale. Ticketholders will be granted access to all talks throughout the day, but do not include a goody bag.

The Candid Book Festival is proudly hosted by The Candid Book Club, a group of five friends who have captivated the book community with honest reviews since 2016. What began as a passion project on Instagram has become a trusted platform for book lovers worldwide. In 2019, The Candid Book Club transitioned from virtual spaces to in-person events, creating intimate gatherings that celebrate the joy of reading. By 2020, they had attracted the attention of authors, who began attending their events to engage directly with readers and Sky Arts Book Club Live, where they made an impact on the inaugural episode hosted by Elizabeth Day and Andi Oliver. Since 2021, The Candid Book Club has hosted in-person events at Waterstones Piccadilly and Waterstones Tottenham Court Road, with appearances at the Primadonna Festival, The Caine Prize for African Writing and Capital Xtra Radio.

Premium goody bags worth £90 are available for the first 60 all-day general admission ticket holders. All day general admission tickets including goody bag are now SOLD OUT.

Standard all day general admission tickets are now on sale. Ticketholders will be granted access to all talks throughout the day, but do not include a goody bag.

The full line up and individual talk tickets will be released at £14 in due course.

Please note that books from participating authors will be available for purchase on the day of the event.

The Candid Book Club Festival 2025 at French Protestant Church Soho