Katie Kirby’s Lottie Brooks books turn the awkward business of growing up into something readers can laugh about together. Written observations and drawings share the storytelling, making her a natural interest for children who quote a funny line, recognise a friendship muddle or immediately want to show someone the next picture.
Quick facts
Best known for
The Lottie Brooks books
Genre or subject
Children’s comic fiction and illustration
Latest book
Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas (2026), Puffin
Kirby writes and illustrates children’s comic fiction, following earlier books for adults. Her first Lottie novel appeared in 2021. The series follows friendship, embarrassment and the anxieties of growing up through a young narrator’s viewpoint, with the drawings carrying their own share of the jokes.
Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas was published by Puffin in October 2026. The festive collection returns to the same fictional world in short stories. It gives familiar characters space beyond a single long diary narrative, a prospect for a reader who likes dropping back into Lottie’s company.
Where to start with their books
The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
Lottie is about to start secondary school, worrying about friends, hair and much else besides. The opening diary introduces her voice and drawings, making it the simplest starting point for a reader new to the series.
The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks
A school musical offers a chance to impress, while Lottie struggles to keep her friendships together. Try this next for the mixture of school excitement, anxious decisions and embarrassing moments that keeps the diaries moving.
The Mega-Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks
Summer brings a family holiday in France and a new crush, complicating the plans Lottie already had in mind. This diary offers a holiday-shaped helping of the same growing-up comedy for a reader keen to continue.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
Oxford hosted The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks at the Sheldonian Theatre on 29 March. Edinburgh’s A Seriously Epic Conversation followed on 29 August at Venue T.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
Let your reader pick a funny scene to share before the trip, and follow their lead about what makes it funny. A child who loves the drawings has just as good a reason to be excited as one who races through every diary entry.
At booking, make sure you are choosing a public family event and check the accompanying-adult ticket rules. A school session needs a different plan from an evening outing. Keep a snack and a little spare time in the day so that a much-anticipated author visit does not begin with everyone arriving hungry or rushed.
The 2026 programmes featured Katie Kirby at Cheltenham Literature Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Henley Literary Festival, Oxford Literary Festival; follow those guides for event information and practical visit details.
Was Henley’s morning Katie Kirby session a public family event?
Use the festival links on Katie Kirby’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Where can a new Lottie reader begin?
The first diary is a straightforward place to meet her before moving through the series. The short suggestions here also help a reader choose by the sort of friendship or family drama they find funniest.
Will there be drawing at a Kirby event?
Use the festival links on Katie Kirby’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Does my child have to read every Lottie book?
No. Enjoying one diary, scene or drawing is enough to give them something to look forward to. Keep the outing centred on their curiosity, and let a conversation with the author encourage the next book naturally.
