Huddersfield Literature Festival
| Huddersfield Literature Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Literary festival |
| Location(s) | Huddersfield, England |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Patrons |
Sir Patrick Stewart OBE Lemn Sissay MBE |
| Website | |
| http://www.litfest.org.uk/ | |
Huddersfield Literature Festival (HLF) is an annual literary festival that takes place 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.
In June 2016, the Festival was chosen as a finalist in the Arts & Culture category of Welcome to Yorkshire's White Rose Awards.
The next Huddersfield Literature Festival is scheduled to run from 4–19 March 2017 with a theme of 'Courage'.
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 [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), Irvine Welsh, Ben Miller, Prof Joann Fletcher, Levison Wood and Alan Johnson MP (2016). 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.
2016
Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Michael Billington, James Bran, Paul Burston, Rosie Garland, Christopher Fowler, Prof Joanne Fletcher, Kate Fox, Claire Harman, Joanne Harris, Alan Johnson MP Ben Miller, Michael Stewart, Rupert Thomson, Irvine Welsh, Levison Wood
References
- ↑ Price, Stuart (6 March 2010). "Ten best talks & festivals", The Independent, p. 10.
- ↑ Literature Festival Website History
- ↑ Campling, Katie (2007-01-20). "Festival pulls in big names". Huddersfield Daily Examiner.
- ↑ British Council.org Testimonials
- ↑ Greenstreet, Rosanna (April 22, 2006). "Q&A Donna Daley-Clarke". The Guardian. London.
- ↑ Literature Northwest
- ↑ Poetry International
- ↑ BBC Bradford
- ↑ Sheffield Hallam University
- ↑ Terry Pratchett Books
- ↑ Yorkshire Evening Post
- ↑ The Bookseller.com – Simon Trewin
- ↑ Contemporary Writer.com Dorothea Smartt
- ↑ British Council – Rommi Smith, Writer in Residence
- ↑ Crime Writers Association – Kester Aspden
- ↑ Poetry PF – Janet Fisher
- ↑ Euro Renaissance.co.uk – Jim Greenhalf
- ↑ Fife Direct.org – Nick Toczek