While the change in seasons from summer to autumn might not have registered with the weather gods, it hasn't gone unnoticed for those in charge of our literary passions.

Autumn normally means leaves falling from the trees and leaves of books being turned by literary enthusiasts across the country.

With Ilkley, Morley, Beverley and Sheffield all boasting their own festivals, the region is covered by festivals which see visits from authors, workshops and debates taking place.

While Ilkley remains the biggest and oldest of the festivals in the North, there are young pretenders to the throne establishing themselves annually.

Seven years ago, John Clarke submitted a bid for lottery funding to host a literature festival in his home town of Beverley.

Having completed a PhD in American literature, he was teaching part-time at York University and believed others shared his own passions, not only for literature, but a passion for lifelong learning.

"I felt there was a great appetite from people to learn – something I noticed around Beverley and this part of Yorkshire simply by the sheer number of book groups there are," says Clarke.

"People want to have the opportunity to talk about those big ideas that are tackled in literature that we don't always discuss once our formal education has finished. Love, life, sex, beliefs – all those things about human being that make us what we are – those are the questions that
people tackle in book groups and that they strive to understand through literature."

With big notions and equally large ambitions, Clarke applied for, and secured, lottery funding for the festival.

He wanted the event to contain surprises for visitors.

"We didn't just want to have the usual suspects, people could see those sorts of writers at other festivals," says Clarke.

With the help of 50 volunteers contributing over 1,000 hours of their time, the festival secured names like Margaret Drabble and local authors to draw in the crowds.

Clarke says one of the great strengths of the festival is the location.

"When authors come here, they love it because of where it is," he says.

"Our venues are all quiet and intimate as well – we have audiences of between 150 and 200, which authors say they enjoy because it gives an intimate feel to the events we have.

"But the most important thing for us is that we don't buy into the cult of the author. Our audiences are interested in the work first and foremost, that's why they come to the festival."

This year these strengths have seen the festival drawing names including Michael Holroyd, Richard Holmes and Bernard Cornwell, as well as running a series of workshops.

Beverley's other great strength, although Clarke does not say so explicitly, is that it remains a manageable
size. While Lionel Shriver appears at the Ilkley Literature Festival, her event at that festival is already a sell-out and audience members will share the experience of listening to her with at least a couple of hundred others. Because Beverley is one of the region's smaller festivals, seeing her there should be a more intimate experience.