Ilkley Literature Festival

Here are the latest Ilkley Literature Festival newsletters:

Highlights from our Audience Survey & 'Be All Write' Dear festival supporters, We hope you are safe and well as we begin to emerge from lockdown. A huge thank you to everyone who completed our recent survey; we had over 900 responses! We have sifted through the data and we have pulled out some key figures that you may be interested in... The majority of respondents, 65%, are not confident or are only somewhat confident about attending events in the autumn; 76% of respondents are very interested or quite interested in a programme of online literature events; Almost half of respondents, 49%, are very willing or quite willing to pay for digital content, and another 30% of respondents are somewhat willing to pay for digital content. As we continue to assess and adapt to the ever changing landscape we all find ourselves in, your feedback is invaluable to us and will very much help inform our plans for this year. Although we weren't able to go ahead with our Spring Series events this year, we have been busy spending the last few months creating more content available on our website. In March, we launched our Be All Write campaign, a collection of audio, reading and writing activities you can enjoy at home. Almost two months later, we have been overwhelmed by the responses and we are pleased that you have been enjoying Be All Write as much as we have! Keep reading for highlights... Writing Challenge We know we welcome great authors to the Festival, but it seems that we also have some incredibly creative writers in Ilkley! From poetry about The Behaviour of the Birds to Haikus about Family, we have loved reading your entries over the past two months. Our most popular writing challenge was: Write a poem inspired by the theme A Quiet Spring. Here are some of our favourite writing challenge entries: Solace by Julie Wilkinson Solace sought Beneath lofty blossom boughs Trees put on Their Sunday Best To turn our eyes and say "This too shall pass Like the seasons." Image credit: Julie Wilkinson Something strange is happening. by Thomas S. Everyone is stuck inside, Most things are getting boring, We have to do our work from home, And we end up nearly snoring. This panic buying is crazy, What we need is a lull, All the shelves are empty, My shopping list is full.   Factories have been closed, A reduction in pollution, We want a cleaner environment, Maybe that’s the solution. It all started in China, We never thought it’d get here, It’s brought the Earth to a standstill, I hope the end of it is near.   If you want to get involved, our writing challenges are for writers of all abilities and we accept submissions all year round. SEE MORE SUBMISSIONS & CHALLENGES Audio from the Archive We have released nine audio recordings of author talks from our vast collection. Some of the most popular have been...   Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais: More Than Likely Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais are the creators of some of British television’s most beloved comedies, including Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Hear them tell their own unlikely story.   Mike Berners-Lee: There Is No Planet B Given the global nature of the challenges we now face, what on Earth can any of us do? Mike Berners-Lee has plotted a course of action and maps it all out in an accessible and entertaining way. Some of our favourites are...   Abigail Beall: Urban Astronomy Learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy, with science journalist and author Abigail Beall.   Dead Funny: Oyinkan Braithwaite and Denise Mina Join critically acclaimed crime writer Denise Mina and Booker Prize long-listed author Oyinkan Braithwaite as they discuss mixing humour with murder.   EXPLORE THE AUDIO ARCHIVE Weekly Book Quiz We have now released nine book quizzes and they have been a hit! With themes ranging from inspiring authors to debut books, from opening lines to mysteries, our most popular quiz has so far been literary families. The question that most people have answered correctly is: Which famous Romantic poet was married to the author of Frankenstein? The answer, of course, was Percy Bysshe Shelley. A question that stumped most quiz takers is: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol was FIRST made into a film in which year? The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is 1903. The hardest quizzes, based on your results, were coming-of-age and plays and playwrights.  TAKE THE QUIZZES HERE Bob's Book Club So far, we have run three book club discussions, which have generated lively and insightful conversations. Lanny by Max Porter "It discombobulated me" "I am really glad this was the pick, I don't think I would have read this book otherwise and I always like to read outside my norm" "it was really readable at a time when I'm feeling quite distracted" The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides "I was so captivated and could not put it down" "Like a lyrical version of the television show, the book is the investigation." "I think the use of language is extraordinary. Eugenides combines lyricism with sparseness so beautifully." My Sister, the Serial Killer “Just not sure what to feel about this book!”  “that’s the mark of a good twist, we weren’t expecting her to stay loyal but she did and in doing so revealed her own character in the process” “I wouldn’t want super dark and gory but a tiny more depth so there’s a very fine line!”   Bob’s Book Club is a virtual book club that is free and for everyone. Our next read is Saving Lucia by Anna Vaught and the discussion will take place Friday 29 May from 11am on our Goodreads. JOIN BOB'S BOOK CLUB Are you struggling? If you are in need of urgent help please call: Bradford Council Volunteering and Community Support Services. 01274 431000 Leeds City Council help for people and communities  0113 378 1877 North Yorkshire County Council Customer Service  01609 780780 Thank you! Before you go, we would like to thank you for your support during these difficult times. If you would like to offer a little extra help during these difficult times, you can make a one off donation by clicking the button below. Just a few pounds will help us continue to run our weekly creative writing sessions for children and young people online while social gatherings are not permitted. MAKE A DONATION Copyright © 2020 Ilkley Literature Festival, All rights reserved. Ilkley Literature Festival 9 The Grove, Ilkley LS29 9LW 01943 601210 info@ilkleylitfest.org.uk Registered in England and Wales Company No: 1061343 Ilkley Literature Festival ltd. is a registered charity. Charity No: 501801                                                           Facebook Twitter Instagram Website SoundCloud

lkley Literature Festival · 9 The Grove · Ilkley, LS29 9LW · United Kingdom

We are sending our best wishes and hope you are managing to remain healthy and well during these difficult days of the continuing lockdown. We know lockdown can be both boring and challenging, especially if you have young ones at home to entertain and educate. We have some suggestions in this newsletter for some writing and reading resources for families with children as well as great brainfeeding activities for adult bookworms you might enjoy while at home. Family Resources We know it may be hard to entertain and homeschool your children, so we have put together a list of fun and engaging resources that you can use! From lesson plans and activity sheets to online story times and games, this list will keep you and your young ones entertained. We will continue to update this list. If you know of any resources that you think we should share, please let us know at info@ilkleylitfest.org.uk  ACCESS FAMILY RESOURCES Be All Write Activities from Home If you are looking for activities to keep creative at home, you may be interested in our Be All Write initiative. We have brought together a range of resources and ideas for reading, writing and listening in lockdown, which includes writing challenges, audio recordings from some of our favourite events from 2019, weekly quizzes and Bob's Book Club! Click the boxes below to find out more... This Week's Activities Writing Challenge Even if you don't class yourself as a budding writer, this is a fun and pressure-free way for you to get creative in lockdown!  Write a funny poem about something that makes you smile during lockdown.  You can share your entries on social media with #ILFWritingChallenge or... SHARE YOUR WRITING HERE Weekly Book Quiz Enjoy a new quiz every Wednesday in which you can pit your book knowledge against questions set by the ILF’s very own quiz elves. This week's theme is MYSTERY BOOKS. TAKE OUR LATEST QUIZ HERE Audio from the Archive If you didn't get chance to hear your favourite authors talk during the festival, you're in luck! Every Tuesday, we will be sharing a talk from our audio archive. Over recent weeks we have been delving into the 2019 vault and released these fascinating gems...   Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais: More Than Likely Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais are the creators of some of British television’s most beloved comedies, including Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. They have been creative partners for more than five decades. Hear them tell their own unlikely story. Mike Berners-Lee: There Is No Planet B Feeding the world, climate change, biodiversity, antibiotics, plastics – the list of concerns seems endless. And, given the global nature of the challenges we now face, what on Earth can any of us do? Mike Berners-Lee has plotted a course of action and maps it all out in an accessible and entertaining way. EXPLORE THE AUDIO ARCHIVE Bob's Book Club Bob’s Book Club is a virtual book club that is free and for everyone. Readers vote on our next read and a discussion takes place on our Goodreads group Bob’s Book Club. Our latest read is My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. The discussion will take place on Friday 1 May at 11am. JOIN BOB'S BOOK CLUB Other News... Poetry Competitions Our 2020 Poetry Competitions for adults, young people and children are now open. For information on the prizes and how to enter, click the links below: Walter Swan Poetry Prize (For adults over 18 year olds) ILF Young People's Poetry Competition (for school Years 7-13) ILF Children's Poetry Competition (for school Years Reception - 6) Fringe Festival Applications There's still time to unlock your creativity and apply to perform at this year's Fringe Festival before the deadline on 15 May 2020. Click here for more information about the Fringe and how to apply. Fringe Applications Close Are you struggling? If you are in need of urgent help please call: Bradford Council Volunteering and Community Support Services. 01274 431000 Leeds City Council help for people and communities  0113 378 1877 North Yorkshire County Council Customer Service  01609 780780 Thank you! Before you go, we would like to thank you for your support during these difficult times. If you would like to offer a little extra help, you can make a one off donation by clicking the button below. Just a few pounds will help us continue to run our weekly creative writing sessions for children and young people online while social gatherings are not permitted. MAKE A DONATION DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Ilkley Literature Festival 2020: 2 - 18 October Programme announced: 12 August Tickets on sale: 25 August Copyright © 2020 Ilkley Literature Festival, All rights reserved. Ilkley Literature Festival 9 The Grove, Ilkley LS29 9LW 01943 601210 info@ilkleylitfest.org.uk Registered in England and Wales Company No: 1061343 Ilkley Literature Festival ltd. is a registered charity. Charity No: 501801                                                           Facebook Twitter Instagram Website SoundCloud

Ilkley Literature Festival · 9 The Grove · Ilkley, LS29 9LW · United Kingdom

Get Writing: Our 2020 Competitions Now Open PLUS Fringe Performers Wanted We are pleased to announce that our annual poetry writing competitions and applications for our Fringe Festival are open for entries! 2020 Walter Swan Poetry Prize Run in partnership with The Walter Swan Trust, the competition is for writers of poetry aged 18 and over. Now in its fifth year, the prize was established in memory of the late writer Walter Swan.  The prize will be judged by the 2020 ILF Poet-in-Residence, who will be announced shortly.   The top three prize winners will be invited to read their poems at an event at the 2020 Ilkley Literature Festival. First, second and third prize will receive £200, £100 and £75 respectively. The winner will also win a one-to-one feedback session with a research fellow at the University of Leeds Poetry Centre.  Poems should be no longer than 30 lines and should respond to the prompt ‘A Kindness’. Entry fees are £6 per poem. The closing date for entries is Friday 31 July 2020, 11.30pm. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO Aged 18-25? Keep reading... For no additional fee, entrants of The Walter Swan Poetry Prize aged 18 to 25 will automatically be considered for a subcategory prize for young adult writers in addition to the main prize.  The prize will be judged by Rachel Bower, Leverhulme Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, and author of the poetry collection Moon Milk (2018).   The top three prize winners will also be invited to read their poems at an event at the 2020 Festival. First, second and third prize will receive £100, £75 and £50 respectively. The winner will also receive a one-to-one feedback session with Rachel Bower. Entry fees are reduced to £3 for those aged 18 to 25. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO Young People's and Children's Poetry Competitions These are free-to-enter competitions for schools and individual children.  Young People’s Poetry Competition Age Categories  Years 7, 8 and 9  Years 10 and 11  Years 12 and 13  Poems should respond to the theme A Kindness. To enter and for full terms and conditions, click here. Children’s Poetry Competition Age Categories  Reception, Years 1 and 2  Years 3 and 4  Years 5 and 6  Poems should respond to the theme Kindness. To enter and for full terms and conditions, click here. The winners will be invited to read their poems at an event at the 2020 Ilkley Literature Festival. The winners will also receive book tokens and both winners and runners up will receive a certificate.  Poems should be no longer than 28 lines.  The closing date for entries is Monday 21 September 2020.   Get Involved: Apply for the 2020 Fringe Festival Have you been getting creative in lockdown? We are encouraging local writers, performers and community groups to apply to take part in the 2020 Festival Fringe. The Fringe is a smorgasbord of local creative talent, providing a rich blend of delights and surprises for audiences to sample.  Applications should feature new ideas and innovative ways of entertaining an audience – whether it’s on a stage, outside in a courtyard, in a workshop setting, or from your living room.  Events can include performances, interactive workshops, promenades, flashmobs, 15-minute pop ups, improvised interventions or anything else that fits with the vision of the weekend. Applicants will be individuals or groups from, or with strong connections to, the Yorkshire region.  APPLY FOR THE FRINGE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Ilkley Literature Festival 2020: 2 - 18 October Programme announced: 12 August Tickets on sale: 25 August Copyright © 2020 Ilkley Literature Festival, All rights reserved. Ilkley Literature Festival 9 The Grove, Ilkley LS29 9LW 01943 601210 programme@ilkleylitfest.org.uk Registered in England and Wales Company No: 1061343 Ilkley Literature Festival ltd. is a registered charity. Charity No: 501801                                                           Facebook Twitter Instagram Website

Ilkley Literature Festival · 9 The Grove · Ilkley, LS29 9LW · United Kingdom