Event Date:
3rd October 2008 Friday 3 - Sunday 19 October 2008
There are more events than ever before at the 2008 Ilkley Literature
Festival, the North of England's longest running festival of its kind. 130 authors
are due to attend the two week experience, covering everything from literary
fiction to food and drink; writings on music to science and children's authors for
tinies to teens.
Cherie Blair will open this, the 35th festival, talking about her recent
autobiography, 'Speaking for Myself'. Biographies feature strongly this
year with other authors and subjects including Patrick French on VS Naipaul;
Michael Peppiatt on Francis Bacon and linking in with another theme this year, the
Brontës, Lyndall Gordon on Charlotte Brontë.
Journalist Justine Picardie will also be talking about the Brontës and her
new novel which tells of Daphne Du Maurier's true life obsession with the
literary family. Kate Atkinson will be discussing her upcoming novel, the third to
feature detective Jackson Brodie; Lionel Shriver will talk about 'Post
Birthday World' and life after 'We need to talk about Kevin', and 'Snow falling on
Cedars' author David Guterson arrives from the USA to present his fourth
novel, 'The Other'.
Films of both Louise Rennison and Darren Shan's series' of books, beginning
with 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging' and 'Cirque du Freak' respectively, are
hitting the big screen over the next few months, emphasising the ongoing
attraction of popular children's and young adult literature. Former
children's laureate Michael Morpurgo and 'Angelina Ballerina' creator Katharine
Holabird will also be pirouetting along.
Other features include a focus on British Asian literature which includes
Mohammed Hanif, Nadeem Aslam and Hardeep Singh Kohli; sports writing;
poetry, including a celebration of the life of Vernon Scannell; actors Corin
Redgrave and Kika Markham presenting a unique reading of the letters of Elizabeth
Barrett and Robert Browning; poet Simon Armitage will be gigging live with his band
'The Scaremongers' and Decibel Award winner Madani Younis premieres his first
theatre show 'Happy & Married?' with new company, Freedom Studios.
For a full list of authors and events, further information and images,
please
contact Anys Scoular or Jo Franks at Anita Morris Associates on 01943 603311
or
email anys@anitamorrisassociates.co.uk; jo@anitamorrisassociates.co.uk
· Write to, call or email the Ilkley Literature Festival at:
www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk
Tel 01943 816 714
Manor House, 2 Castle Hill, Ilkley, West Yorkshire. LS29 9DT
· Tickets will be available from 26 August.
· Join the mailing list to receive a free copy of the full Festival
programme
in August or enjoy a week's priority booking by joining the Festival
Friends
before 31 July.
