Blog

  • ‘And now, once again, I bid my hideous progeny go forth and prosper’ – A Reading Group for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

    Carl McKeating from the University of Leeds tells us more about what to expect from this year’s Guided Reading Group. In May 1816, the then Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft (later Mary Shelley) eloped to the Alps with her lover, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and her half-sister, Claire Clairmont. Motivated by Claire Clairmont’s…more

  • Family Cake Decorating Competition

    To celebrate the start of Ilkley Literature Festival 2018 we are combining our two favourite things – Books and Cakes! Inspired by Nadiya Hussain’s new book Bake Me A Celebration Story we are inviting children and families (no professional bakers please!) to decorate a cake inspired by a favourite children’s…more

  • The Story So Far: Creative Writing with New to English and EAL pupils

    This spring we were fortunate enough to secure funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to run a schools project with pupils who are new to English, or have English as an additional language. Through our close work with schools across Leeds and Bradford, we became aware of the growing challenges…more

  • Ilkley Literature Festival 2018

    We are delighted to bring you the 2018 Ilkley Literature Festival programme with speakers ranging from England cricket star Moeen Ali to Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. As ever we are welcoming exciting names in literary fiction including Kate Mosse, Fiona Mozley and Nikesh Shukla, while poets reading their work…more

  • Book Now for the Schools Matinee with Emma Carroll

    Emma Carroll announced for Schools Matinee: Friday 5 Oct  Emma Carroll, award-winning author of Letters From The Lighthouse and The Girl Who Walked on Air, will be the star of our schools matinee at this years’ Festival, talking about her new book Secrets of a Sun King. Ideal for pupils…more

  • Enter the 2018 Children’s Writing Competitions

    The 2018 Children’s and Young People’s Writing competitions are now open! Children’s Poetry Competition: Schools and individual children from Yorkshire and Lancashire are welcome to enter this competition. AGE CATEGORIES Reception, Year 1, Year 2 Year 3 and 4 Year 5 and 6 PRIZES FOR EACH AGE GROUP A special…more

  • ILF receives funding to work with pupils who are new to English

    We’re pleased to announce that we’ve been awarded funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to run a poetry and animation project with pupils who are new to English. We’ll be working in Leeds and Bradford with Bishop Young Church of England Academy, The Cooperative Academy of Leeds, Appleton Academy and Dixon…more

  • Words in the City Schools Poetry Slam

    As part of our outreach work for Words in the City Leeds we hosted our first ever school poetry slam, which was a huge success. The slam enabled seven secondary schools in Leeds (Allerton High, Allerton Grange, Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School, Cockburn High, The Cooperative Academy, Crawshaw Academy and…more

  • Introducing our new Apprentice Poet in Residence

    We are very excited to introduce our new Apprentice Poet in Residence, Ian Walker. Ian will work alongside Poet in Residence Imtiaz Dharker as well as hosting his own events and workshops throughout the Festival. Ian is currently studying for a Poetry MFA at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was the 2016 Borough…more

  • Young Writer’s Summer School 2018

    Bookings are now open for the 2018 Young Writers Summer School, which takes place from 29-31 August at Lineham Farm. With workshops, games and activities, guest tutors and of course the always popular cabaret, the Summer School is for Young People aged 12+ who love creative writing. The Summer School…more