I am delighted to welcome you to this years BookTastic Book Festival. BookTastic Bedford has gone from strength to strength since it first got started in 2014 and I was thrilled that they put on two great virtual Festivals during the Lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Throughout all the changes over the years, the team at BookTastic has kept working hard in its main aim, to promote a love of books and reading to young readers throughout Bedford Borough (and beyond).