Karen's blog: Ilkley Literature Festival

With all the latest information:

From our first event of the year with Salley Vickers through to our final one with Eddie Jones, 2019 has been another fantastic year for ILF. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.

Words in the City returned to Leeds, headlined by Vanessa Kisuule and showcasing the incredible range of Spoken Word talent on offer in the region. Through our Young Writers Groups, Summer School and Story Explorers as well as Schools Poetry Slam Competition, we have continued to work with children and young people across Leeds and Bradford to inspire and develop their love of creative writing.

From star of stage and screen David Suchet captivating audiences with his stunning photography to Ben Aitken’s hilarious tales of his adventures in Poland, ILF19 was a whirlwind of fantastic events. Lead by Poet in Residence Colette Bryce and Apprentice Poets in Residence Shash Trevett and Genevieve Carver, our programme of poetry events featured an incredible range of voices and talents, from the Poet Laureate through to the best emerging talents from Yorkshire.

Looking ahead to 2020, planning is already under way for our Spring Series of events - look out for announcements early in the new year.

The 2020 Festival will take place from Friday 2 - Sunday 18 October.
The programme will be announced and tickets on sale in August.

Gift Vouchers and Gift Memberships

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your book-loving friends and family?
We now have ILF gift vouchers and memberships available to buy through our website.

For fans of poetry, fiction or non-fiction a festival gift voucher is the ideal gift and can be redeemed against tickets for ILF events including the main festival and one-offs.

A gift membership will give your loved ones a year's membership to the festival friends scheme, including invitations to special receptions and priority booking for festival events.

But you need to be quick... the ILF office closes for Christmas on Tuesday 17 December.

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Support Ilkley and Bradford Young Writers
with Tesco Bags of Help

We are delighted that Ilkley and Bradford Young Writers have been chosen as one of the projects that will benefit from the Tesco Bags of Help Grant Scheme next year. Bags of Help is a scheme which gives community projects like the Young Writers Groups grants of up to £2,000 – all raised from the sale of carrier bags in Tesco stores.

From 1 January - 31 March 2020 you will be able to vote for the Young Writers at both branches of Tesco in Ilkley (the Superstore on Springs Lane and the Express at the petrol station on the A65), as well as at 3 stores in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Simply place your token in our slot when you shop and you'll be supporting the Young Writers Groups.

Ilkley and Bradford Young Writers Groups are two inclusive writing groups for 12 to 18-year olds that happen weekly during term times. The groups help young people explore their love for writing together in a fun community and in an exciting way. Participants are encouraged to try different writing forms - including poetry, prose and playwriting, while also being introduced to technical aspects of creative writing, such as editing and the art of performance.

“The nurturing I received whilst being a part of this group I have not found anywhere else. Our mentors pushed us to the brink of our creative limits, coached us to perform and critiqued us to be better writers than we were when they found us. I think I can speak on behalf of my fellow former young members and say that I don’t think we would be the writers we are without it.”
Rachel Hall, 19, former member of Ilkley Young Writers