How Ilkley Literature Festival has been a showcase of stars for 50 years - Erica Morris

Ilkley Literature Festival has made a small spa town on the edge of Bradford, in the shadow of the Pennine moors and on the southern tip of the Yorkshire Dales, a destination for writers and readers for 50 years.

In that time, we have welcomed writers whose names are familiar sights on bookshelves around the world – Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, Maya Angelou, Bill Bryson, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Hilary Mantel and the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah to name just a few. We have celebrated Yorkshire’s own deep, rich well of literary talent – from Ted Hughes to Kay Mellor.

We are now building on five decades of innovation, ambition and excellence to create a new future for ourselves, and, more importantly, for the development of writers and readers at all stages of their lives, in Yorkshire and beyond.

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The annual two-week long October festival remains the most visible element of our work. The festival is a friendly, warm and welcoming place. We’re proud to provide Yorkshire book lovers the opportunity to come together to create conversations, tackle tricky topics, and encourage exploration – to discover new writers, new ideas and new ways of understanding the world.

Erica Morris is director of Ilkley Literature Festival.
PIC: Helen BrownErica Morris is director of Ilkley Literature Festival.
PIC: Helen Brown
Erica Morris is director of Ilkley Literature Festival. PIC: Helen Brown

This year amongst the household names discussing new memoirs, like Gabby Logan and Melvyn Bragg, or forays into fiction, like Ardal O’Hanlon and Ruth Jones, audiences can explore an abundance of fascinating subjects from food writing to ancient philosophy.

One of our themes this year we have called Explore Moor - a pun on our famed Ilkley Moor. After being cooped up inside for far too long over the past few years, we’ll be journeying alongside some of the UK’s most adventurous writers.

We’re also delighted to be presenting an exclusive northern event with the legendary Malorie Blackman, who has shaped British literature for more than 30 years with over 60 books. She’ll appear at Bradford Grammar School, talking about her own life story and her hard-fought journey to become one of the most important authors of the twenty-first century.

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The festival is fantastic fun for anyone who loves a good book, but it’s far from the only way we create opportunities for writers. We’re proud to have commissioned new work over the years from major authors, such as Angela Carter, Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy. Yet we don’t only work with established authors, we help create them. Each year we also commission work from northern writers of all backgrounds who are just starting out in their careers.

2022’s Poet in Residence is Kayo Chingonyi. A winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize, Kayo will produce a commissioned piece for the festival, curate a poetry showcase and deliver a writing workshop. He’ll also mentor the 2022 Apprentice Poets in Residence, Rebecca Green and Sarah-Clare Conlon.

Our Apprentice Poet in Residence position has proved to be an early launchpad for writers who have gone on to stellar careers. Awarding-winning and exceptionally talented writers including Andrew McMillan, Seàn Hewitt, Zodwa Nyoni and Phoebe Power all held the role early on in their professional lives.

That’s the exciting thing about our work. In every writing workshop or children’s event we host, there could be the Next Big Thing in British writing. A person who might not have thought they could ever be a writer, if it wasn’t for the moment when someone showed them they could.

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As the current director of Ilkley Literature Festival, I’m aware of the remarkable legacy it has. It’s thanks largely to one man, Michael Dawson. Michael was the very first director of Ilkley Literature Festival. Together with a small team of dedicated committee members who shared his big idea of bringing a book festival to Ilkley, he fundraised for over two years to put on the very first festival in 1973.

It was with huge sadness that we heard Michael Dawson died over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The budget for that first festival was £5,750. The guest of honour was WH Auden. An incredible 10,774 people came along. And for almost 50 years now, they continued to come.

Here’s to the next half a century.

Erica Morris is director of Ilkley Literature Festival