The Black British Book Festival returns to London’s Barbican Centre on October 18-19, 2025, with its Powerhouse Zone delivering an electrifying lineup that uncovers hidden histories, celebrates viral storytelling, and spotlights the new wave of crime fiction.

Now in its fifth year, BBBF has grown into Europe’s largest celebration of Black literature, bringing together 84 authors across 35 events with over 5,000 attendees expected. The weekend kicks off Saturday evening with an intimate VIP experience featuring US star Tabitha Brown at the O2 Blueroom, limited to just 150 guests before she takes the main stage Sunday.

The Powerhouse Zone sessions on Sunday span from culinary creativity to cultural criticism, beginning at 1pm with food content creator Remi Idowu’s live workshop inspired by her cookbook Sugar & Spice, where she demonstrates her signature viral twists on nostalgic bakes and comfort food. At 2pm, Lanre Bakare, Paterson Joseph, and historian Imaobong Umoren join chair Colin Grant in Cinema 1 for Hidden in Plain Sight, examining Black British voices and legacies systematically excluded from national storytelling. The afternoon continues with climate justice conversations at 3pm, followed by the highly anticipated 4pm session celebrating 20 years of Keisha the Sket, where author Jade LB and editor Lemara Lindsay-Prince reflect on the groundbreaking 2005 text-speak story that spread through Black British teenage circles long before social media existed and was later republished by Stormzy’s #Merky Books imprint.

The zone concludes with speculative fiction conversations at 5pm featuring authors exploring fantasy and futurism through African and diasporic traditions, a 6pm screening of the acclaimed documentary I Am Not Your Negro in partnership with The New Black Film Collective, and at 7pm, crime fiction authors Remi Kone, Foday Mannah, and Paula Sutton in conversation with Nadine Matheson about building suspense and crafting page-turners. Festival passes are £15, granting access to one headliner event plus unlimited entry to all sessions across the Powerhouse, Children’s, and Spark Ideas Zones, along with free marketplace access and activities. The festival also features five major headliner events at Milton Court including Sir Lenny Henry, June Sarpong OBE, Dame Denise Lewis DBE, Jordan Stephens, and Tabitha Brown.

For the full programme and tickets, visit blackbritishbookfestival.com.