Ted Hughes and Michael Dawson at King’s Hall back in the day…
The north’s longest-running literature festival, now in its 51st year, began on Friday 4 October. Around 90 events run across 17 days until 20 October at the King’s Hall and in venues across the spa town.
The first festival weekend features the former leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, discussing whether we can reclaim ideas of Englishness from the cheerleaders of exceptionalism and nationalism in her event Another England, and former One Show presenter, Adrian Chiles, brings his idiosyncratic takes on British life to the King’s Hall, discussing his offbeat Guardian columns that gained him a cult following.
Award-winning slam poet – and self-confessed Michael Jackson mega fan – Vanessa Kisuule starts a conversation on the pleasures and perils of fandom and the costs of hero worship. Orwell-Prize winning journalist Paul Caruana Galizia discusses the assassination of his mother, the Maltese journalist and anti-corruption campaigner, Daphne Caruana Galizia, and his family’s quest for justice in his event A Death in Malta.
To date, 24 events have already sold out across the festival, including the opening event with Patrick Grant of the Great British Sewing Bee, as well as headline authors Theresa May, Gyles Brandreth, Dame Harriet Walter, Alan Hollinghurst and Miranda Sawyer.
Erica Morris, Ilkley Literature festival director, said: “We can’t wait to welcome readers and audiences to experience this wealth of incredible writers – novelists, poets, journalists, historians, political commentators, essayists, and children’s authors. We hope people will join in, be inspired, and enjoy a raft of contemporary ideas, debate, and discussion from ethics of AI to the history of Britpop.”
There is so much more to see, hear and … But no… For the full programme go to www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk – give yourself a treat and go. Enjoy!