Huddersfield Literature Festival

Huddersfield Literature Festival, online, 18–28 March 2021, free entry - Visit now

Established in 2006, the award-winning Huddersfield Literature Festival is an annual celebration of books, authors, poetry and performance, spanning 20 venues across Huddersfield.

Drawing audiences of 4000+ each March, the Festival plays host to around 50 events, many of which boast major literary names. Bestselling authors Irvine Welsh, Bernardine Evaristo, Lemn Sissay, Helen Mort, Amanda Owen, Tom Cutler, Ann Cleeves, Joanne Harris and Vaseem Khan have all appeared at the Festival in recent years, while other events provide a platform for emerging talent from near and far.

Many events take the form of in-conversations, talks and panel discussions, but there are also creative writing workshops, open mic nights, poetry slams, comedy performances, multi-arts events, community partnership events and many family activities on offer. These not only bring creative entertainment to Huddersfield, but give local creatives the chance to share their skills and engage with their community.

The Festival is well known for its inclusivity and accessibility. Many events are free or low cost, many have live subtitling by Stagetext for audiences who have hearing difficulties, and there are also autism-friendly events on offer. The Festival is also known for its diversity, and works to specific goals in terms of representation for BAME, disability, gender, LGBTQ+, social class and age-groups across audiences, performers, volunteers, venues and management.

All of this has led Huddersfield Literature Festival to win numerous awards. In 2017, it won the Examiner Community Award for Arts, and it has also been a finalist in the prestigious Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Awards three times (2016, 2017 and 2020). The Festival also boasts a pretty amazing approval rating from audiences, ranging from 98% – 100% each year.

While the programme for the 2021 Huddersfield Literature Festival has headed online, it promises to be another joyous celebration of literature, where you can meet your favourite authors, discover new talent, hone your own skills and enjoy the great entertainment on offer.