Blog

We are delighted to announce that award-winning Northern Irish poet Colette Bryce will be Poet in Residence at the 2019 Festival. Following in the footsteps of previous Poets in Residence including Imtiaz Dharker, Daljit Nagra, Andrew McMillan and Zaffar Kunial, Colette will be putting her own mark on the festival,…more

We know you’ll join us in sending long-time Ilkley Literature Festival friend, supporter and creative collaborator Simon Armitage our warmest congratulations on receiving the UK’s highest literary honour. We are delighted to be able to reveal that the Poet Laureate will be opening the 2019 festival with a reading of…more

We are pleased to announce that our hotly anticipated annual poetry and short story writing competitions are now open for entries. 2019 Walter Swan Poetry Prize Now in its fourth year, the Walter Swan Poetry Prize is open to all writers of poetry aged 18 and over. Previous prize winners…more

Our children’s poetry competition is open for entries and this year, inspired by the 50th anniversary of the moon landings we are asking for poems on the theme of Discovery. This can be any kind of discovery, not just scientific – it could be a personal discovery of a new…more

Booking is now open for our annual Primary Schools Matinee event. Primary Schools Matinee with Robin Stevens Tuesday 1 October 2019, 1.30pm, The Kings Hall, Ilkley Robin Stevens is the author of Murder Most Unladylike series. Featuring detective duo Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, these hugely popular books are the…more

We are inviting applications from new and emerging writers for a selection of opportunities at this year’s Festival. The popular Festival Fringe returns this year with a new look and format. Taking place over one weekend (5 – 6 October), the Fringe will be a smorgasbord of delights and surprises…more

We are pleased to announce new dates for two events that had to be postponed during the Festival. Cricketer Moeen Ali will be speaking about his career as one of England’s most popular All-Rounders at 8pm on Monday 3 December at the Grammar School at Leeds. Fresh from the Sir…more

Poet in Residence Imtiaz Dharker tells us why she’s looking forward to hearing Gillian Clarke and Finuala Dowling read on Wednesday 10 October. I’m looking forward to the event with Gillian Clarke and Finuala Dowling on 10 October. One thing they have in common is that both came to writing…more

Apprentice Poet in Residence Ian Walker tells why he is runnning a workshop about insects. “I am dying by inches, from not having anybody to talk to about insects” Darwin wrote this in 1828 and almost two hundred years later – call me dramatic – not a day goes by…more

Poet in Residence Imtiaz Dharker tells us what she’s looking forward to at #ILF18 My letterbox has just delivered a package from Rachel Feldberg in Ilkley and inside is gold: a batch of entries for the Walter Swan Trust Poetry Prize. Reading them, I’m struck by the quality of the…more