PREVIEW: Novelist Ali Shaw

Focusing on celebrating nature in writing, this year’s programme includes an intimate opening night with festival patron and poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and ‘world laureate’ Imtiaz Dharker, a lively children’s programme, a talk from legendary peace activist Satish Kumar, wild swimming and music from Mercury Prize-nominated Kathryn Williams.

Taking place over three days, in venues such as the Grade 2 listed church St Chad’s and Fish Pond Wood in Bewerley, NiddFest captures the unique spirit of the Yorkshire Dales, while providing a platform to world-class authors, poets and experts.

In a true celebration of nature, a number of the events will take place outside. The first day of the programme includes a wood walk and wild swim, followed by a picnic. Championing the best in nature writing, NiddFest is joined by poets Carol Ann Duffy and Imtiaz Dharker, and authors Adam Feinstein, Nick Davies, Ali Shaw and John Lewis-Stempel. These authors will be discussing their books, covering a range of topics from ecology in a post-apocalyptic world (Ali Shaw’s novel The Trees) to the trickery of cuckoos (Nick Davies’ new work Cuckoo –Cheating by Nature). The children’s programme has been extended this year, including den building, nature games and a big draw with children’s author and illustrator Helen Stephens.