Currently viewing page 5 of posts.
-
60. Sophie Haydock & Stephen May: Stranger than Fiction?
Sat 18th Oct at 2:30 pm - Ilkley Playhouse - Wildman
Stephen May and Sophie Haydock discuss how they reimagined real life historical figures and events in their latest novels, Green Ink and Madame Matisse. Green Ink explores the disappearance of…more
61. Poet’s Corner Reading Group
Sat 18th Oct at 3:15 pm - Ilkley Arts Studio
Get together with other poetry lovers in our friendly, informal group session hosted by Jamie Field and Rachel Curzon, two of Word Up North’s 2025 New Northern Poets. You’ll take…more
62. The Poems: 40 Years in the North
Sat 18th Oct at 3:30 pm - Church House
Hear some of the 40 best poems of the last 40 years, gathered from The North, the UK’s inspirational poetry magazine produced by The Poetry Business. Editors Ann and Peter…more
63. Jo Hamilton: The Post Office Scandal and Me
Sat 18th Oct at 3:45 pm - All Saints' Church
Jo Hamilton was one of more than 700 sub-postmasters prosecuted by the Post Office based on false information, her story immortalised in the smash hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs…more
63. Jo Hamilton: The Post Office Scandal and Me LIVESTREAMED
Sat 18th Oct at 3:45 pm - multiple venues
Jo Hamilton was one of more than 700 sub-postmasters prosecuted by the Post Office based on false information, her story immortalised in the smash hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs…more
64. Jack Ashby: Behind the Scenes at the Natural History Museums
Sat 18th Oct at 3:45 pm - Ilkley Grammar School, B-Hall
Natural history museums are incredibly popular tourist attractions, but we don’t often stop to think about what they really tell us about our world. Jack Ashby, curator and president of…more
67. University of Leeds Poetry Centre Showcase
Sat 18th Oct at 5:00 pm - Church House
Join us for a showcase of readings by exceptional poets associated with the thriving University of Leeds Poetry Centre. Participating poets include Charlotte Eichler, John Whale, Maia Elsner, Matt Howard…more
66. Mark Galeotti: How Crime Organises the World
Sat 18th Oct at 5:00 pm - Ilkley Playhouse - Wildman
When does a bandit become a monarch? When does a gang become a government? And is organised crime at the heart of every modern state? Join Professor Mark Galeotti for…more
65. Simon Hart: Ungovernable
Sat 18th Oct at 5:00 pm - Kings Hall
Former Chief Whip and Conservative MP Simon Hart had a front-row seat to the most turbulent times in Britain’s recent political history. He’s seen and heard it all, from negotiations…more
68. Jung Chang: Fly, Wild Swans
Sat 18th Oct at 6:15 pm - All Saints' Church
Jung Chang’s global bestseller Wild Swans defined a generation. An epic personal history of Chang, her mother and grandmother – ‘three daughters of China’. Beginning with her grandmother’s birth in…more
68. Jung Chang: Fly, Wild Swans LIVESTREAMED
Sat 18th Oct at 6:15 pm - multiple venues
Jung Chang’s global bestseller Wild Swans defined a generation. An epic personal history of Chang, her mother and grandmother – ‘three daughters of China’. Beginning with her grandmother’s birth in…more
69. Irvine Welsh: Men in Love
Sat 18th Oct at 6:15 pm - Ilkley Grammar School, B-Hall
Choose life. Choose love? Irvine Welsh joins us to discuss the sequel to his million-copy bestseller, Trainspotting. Men in Love picks up in a new era, as the Trainspotting crew…more
70. New Northern Poets Showcase
Sat 18th Oct at 6:45 pm - Church House
Hear from Word Up North’s 2025 cohort of New Northern Poets: Nóra Blascsók, Rachel Curzon, Nigeen Dara, Jamie Field, Vanessa Napolitano and Laura Strickland. This is a unique opportunity to…more
72. Julie Beckett: The Archers Unseen
Sat 18th Oct at 7:30 pm - Ilkley Playhouse - Wildman
With more than five million listeners and having run for more than 20,000 episodes since its first broadcast in 1951, The Archers is a British institution. Join Archers writer, editor,…more
73. An Evening with Hugh Bonneville
Sat 18th Oct at 7:30 pm - Kings Hall
Enjoy an evening with actor and bestselling memoirist Hugh Bonneville. The star of Paddington, W1A and Downton Abbey will delight us with brilliantly vivid stories from his glittering career on…more
71. Informal Verse: A Poetry Networking Event
Sat 18th Oct at 8:00 pm - Church House
Whether you’re trying to break into poetry publishing or simply want to meet with like-minded verse lovers, Word Up North’s informal networking event offers the opportunity to relax and make…more
75. Lorna Gibb: Rare Tongues
Sun 19th Oct at 12:00 pm - Ilkley Playhouse - Wildman
Get lost in translation on this enthralling tour around the rarest languages in the world with writer and linguist Lorna Gibb. Discover the history of rare languages, the cultures they…more
74. Hugh Bonneville: Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room
Sun 19th Oct at 12:00 pm - Kings Hall
Buckle up for the adventure of a lifetime in this hilarious family event with Paddington star and children’s author, Hugh Bonneville. Find out how adventures on stage and screen helped…more
76. Patrick Maguire & Gabriel Pogrund: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer
Sun 19th Oct at 1:15 pm - Ilkley Grammar School, B-Hall
The Times political columnist Patrick Maguire and Sunday Times Whitehall Editor Gabriel Pogrund share the definitive, explosive behind-the-scenes account of Labour’s brutal reinvention and dramatic return to power under Keir…more
77. Sanam Mahloudji & Nussaibah Younis: Seriously Funny
Sun 19th Oct at 2:30 pm - Ilkley Playhouse - Wildman
Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlisted writers Sanam Mahloudji and Nussaibah Younis discuss how their razor-sharp debut novels balance serious social and political subjects with deliciously dark humour. Mahloudji’s enormously entertaining…more
50 years of Ilkley Literature Festival
2023 marks a monumental milestone for our small yet mighty charity; founded in 1973, we are celebrating our golden anniversary! To celebrate the past 50 years and to ensure ‘50 moor’, we aim to fundraise £50,000.
If you are able to, please consider making a donation. Your support will ensure we can continue to deliver a wide-ranging and diverse programme of work, bring authors and poets of international renown to Ilkley, and continue to provide opportunities and access to emerging writers, children and young people in West Yorkshire!