About Us

The Ilkley Literature Festival is the longest-running literature festival in the north and second-oldest in the UK. We started in 1973 and have been bringing authors and audiences together ever since. You can read all about our history here and find out about our latest events here.

Today, the festival is programmed and produced by Word Up North, a Yorkshire-based arts charity and literature development agency. Word Up North grew out of the strong roots of the Ilkley Literature Festival, with a mission to raise up voices, stories and writers in the north of England. You can find out about Word Up North’s opportunities for writers, children and young people and communities in the north here.