Huddersfield Literature Festival

Huddersfield Literature Festival
Genre Literary festival
Location(s) Huddersfield, England
Years active 2006–present
Website
http://www.litfest.org.uk/

Huddersfield Literature Festival (HLF) is an annual literary festival that takes place over 10 days in March in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.[1]

Introduction

The festival runs author talks, creative writing classes and competitions, multi-arts performances, LGBT events, poetry nights and open mic events, plus a Literary Afternoon Tea. The festival also hosts Majikkon: the annual Huddersfield Anime, Manga and Comic Con.

Events take place at a number of venues around Huddersfield, including The University of Huddersfield, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield Town Hall, The Media Centre, libraries and local bars/cafes.

Festival patrons are Lemn Sissay MBE and Sir Patrick Stewart OBE.

The next Huddersfield Literature Festival is scheduled to run from 3–13 March 2016 with a theme of '10' to mark the festival's 10th anniversary.

History

Originally conceived in 2006 the festival is run as a not-for-profit organisation, with funding from the University of Huddersfield and the Arts Council, with support from Kirklees Metropolitan Council and First TransPennine Express, amongst others,[2] and business sponsorship from local firms.

From 2009-2011 the festival was headed up by creative writing tutor and author Michael Stewart. In 2012 it took a break, but was relaunched in 2013 with a new Festival Director Michelle Hodgson of Key Words. In April 2013, Michelle featured in The Independent on Sunday's Happy List for her work with the festival.

Over the years, the festival has welcomed a diverse range of authors, poets and performers. These include former Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion (2007), Mark E. Smith and Simon Armitage (2009), Alexei Sayle and A. L. Kennedy (2010), Jodi Picoult (2013), Kate Atkinson and Kate Adie (2014), Matt Haig, Helen Lederer and Jamie DeWolf (2015). Bestselling local author Joanne Harris[3] and festival patron and poet Lemn Sissay have appeared at the festival on several occasions.

Notable visiting authors

2006

Abdellatif Akbib (Winner of the British Council Literary Prize 2003 [4]), Francesca Beard, Martyn Bedford, John Boyne, Donna Daley-Clarke,[5] David Stuart Davies, Gideon Defoe, Jeremy Dyson, Paul Farley, Mark Gatiss, George Green, Sarah Hall, Stephen Hall, Geoff Hattersley, Peter Hobbs, Gaia Holmes,[6] Simon Ings, Helen Ivory, Chris Kerr, Shamshad Khan,[7] Frances Leviston, Mil Millington, Julie Myerson, Patrick Neate, Jacob Polley, Geoff Ryman, Adam Strickson,[8] George Szirtes, Dr Harriet Tarlo,[9] Sophie Wainwright (aka: Sophie Codman),[10][11] Louise Welsh

2007

Andrew Motion, Joanne Harris, Adam Foulds, Joolz Denby, Simon Trewin[12]], Simon Scarrow, Robert Low, Dorothea Smartt,[13] Gaia Holmes, Shamshad Khan. Lee Hughes, David Wheatley, Rommi Smith,[14] George Green, Michael Stewart, Sol B River.

2008

Ann Cleeves, Duncan Lawrie, Joanne Harris, Doreen Lawrence, Kester Aspden CWO Gold Dagger Winner 2008,[15] Sefi Atta, Janet Fisher,[16] Louise Page, Jim Greenhalf,[17] Nick Toczek[18] and Yunis Alan.

2009

Joanne Harris, Lemn Sissay, Ian McMillan, John Cooper Clarke, Mark E. Smith, Simon Armitage.

2010

Alexei Sayle, A. L. Kennedy, Sara Maitland, Moniza Alvi.

2011

David Peace. Melvin Burgess, David Nobbs, Anne Fine.

2012

Break year, no festival.

2013

Jodi Picoult, Kate Atkinson, Joanne Harris, Jeremy Dyson, Annabel Pitcher, Michael Stewart, Monkey Poet, Andrew Mitchell, Gaia Holmes.

2014

Kate Adie, Annapurna Indian Dance, David Barnett, Paul Burston, Jim Crace, Mari Hannah, Joanne Harris, Gwyneth Hughes, Keith Jarrett, Marina Lewycka, VG Lee, Adam Lowe, Ken MacLeod, Sunny Ormonde, Lemn Sissay and Jah Wobble.

2015

David Barnett, Paul Burston, M. R. Carey, Bettina Carpi, Jamie DeWolf, Rosie Garland, Matt Haig, Joanne Harris, Amanda Huxtable, Christian Jarrett, Helen Lederer, V. G. Lee, Gary Lloyd, Wilf' Lunn, Kei Miller, David Nobbs, Diriye Osman, Gerry Potter, Justina Robson, Kadija Sesay, Michael Stewart, Bryan Talbot & Mary M. Talbot.

References

External links

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