Blog

  • Apply for an Ilkley Literature Festival 2018 Micro-Commission

    Through our micro-commissions we want to fund projects that explore new ways of creating or promoting poetry, fiction, non-fiction or spoken word in the Northern region. Your idea can be all about the word, or it can combine it with another art form/discipline. Our micro-commissions aim to: enable and support…more

  • c. Ayesha Dharker

    Imtiaz Dharker is the 2018 Poet in Residence

    We are thrilled to announce that Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry winner Imtiaz Dharker will be the Poet in Residence at the 2018 Ilkley Literature Festival. Imtiaz will be following in the footsteps of previous luminaries who have held the role, such as Daljit Nagra, Andrew Macmillan and Kim Moore….more

  • Apply to the 2018 Fringe

    We are now taking applications for the 2018 Ilkley Literature Festival Fringe. Groups or individuals of any age from – or with strong links to – the Yorkshire Region are invited to submit an application to present a Fringe Event at the Ilkley Literature Festival 2018. Writers, poets and live…more

  • Book Now for the Schools Poetry Show at Words in the City

    Tickets on sale now for poetry and spoken word show Spin Friday 11th May, 1.30 – 2.30pm The Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds As part of Words in the City, our poetry and spoken word festival, we’re bringing leading poetry and spoken word organisation Apples and Snakes to Leeds for a special…more

  • Win Simon Mayo’s New Book!

    To celebrate our first event of 2018 we have 2 copies of Simon Mayo’s new book, Mad Blood Stirring to give away! Book tickets to see Simon at the Kings Hall on 24 April by 5pm on Friday 20 April to be in with a chance of winning. Simon Mayo…more

  • Book Now for Words in the City Leeds

    Tickets are now on sale for Words in the City, our popular weekend festival of poetry and spoken word, taking place in the centre of Leeds from 10 – 13 May. Highlights include: reggae poet and social activist Linton Kwesi Johnson; a new show from multi-award-winning Luke Wright that takes…more

  • Ilkley Literature Festival Inspires Independent Film

    Ilkley Literature Festival is hitting the big screen as the setting for a new independent film staring Derek Jacobi, Roger Allam and Anna Maxwell Martin. ‘Ilkley’, which starts filming this week, is a black comedy directed by Harry Michell, who also co-wrote the script with Jamie Fraser. ‘Ilkley’ is the…more

  • Kadija George, Mahsuda Snaith and Winnie M Li at 2018 launch credit Max Farrar

    Enter the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2018

    Entries can now be made to the 2018 SI Leeds Literary Prize, a trail-blazing award for new writing by black and Asian women. The biennial award is now in its 4th edition and has helped support a new generation of writers, including previous alumni Amita Murray, Mahsuda Snaith, Minoli Salgado,…more

  • Apply now for a Words in the City Micro-Commission!

    Words in the City is a weekend festival of poetry and spoken word taking place in Leeds City Centre from 11-13 May 2018, organised by Ilkley Literature Festival. Our partner venues The Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds Central Library and The Leeds Library provide the perfect settings for a weekend of inspiring…more

  • Season’s Greetings from Ilkley Literature Festival

    2017 has been a busy and exciting year for Ilkley Literature Festival. We ran a Spring Series of events at the Kings Hall with fascinating speakers including Sally Wainwright, Our year-round programme of work for children and young people continued with Young Writers Groups in Ilkley and Bradford, Story Explorers…more