Latest News

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

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

The BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner OBE, is a familiar face reporting on domestic and international security, notably extremist related terrorism. A fluent Arabic speaker he was previously the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent. In June 2004, while reporting in Riyadh, Frank and his cameraman, Simon Cumbers, were ambushed by Islamist…more

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

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

The hotly anticipated 2018 Walter Swan Poetry Competition and the 2018 Short Story Competition are now open for entries. The competitions are open to anyone aged over 18 and entries can be on any subject. The Walter Swan Poetry Competition is judged by Poet in Residence Imtiaz Dharker and the…more

We are now accepting applications for the 2018 Apprentice Poet in Residence. The Festival’s Apprentice Poet in Residence role is an opportunity for an exceptional, emerging poet who is based in the North of England  and at the start of their career. As Apprentice Poet in Residence they will shadow…more

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

Ilkley Literature Festival are delighted to announce a new partnership with the University of Leeds. The University will be Principal Partner on the forthcoming Words in the City poetry and spoken word festival taking place in Leeds (10 – 13 May) and Higher Education Partner for Ilkley Literature Festival 2018…more

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