BBE 2014

We are back for our third year of festival fun with three programmes which hopefully will have something for everybody. Our video shows some of the highlights from last year and gives a flavour of what is to come.

In our main programme we have writers, poets, musicians and performers. There are panel events covering crime fiction, sport and media, propaganda and war and the Great War. Eddie Waring, jazz, food and drink, art, Alzheimer’s, protests and radical Chapeltown all sit side by side.

There will be a big focus on our local communities in the Leeds Story Cycle  which will express the voice of Leeds, captured at the historic moment of the Grand Depart of the Tour de France. Seven stories will be created by six diverse community groups, each telling the tale of a different character’s journey to see the race begin.

For children, we have a fun filled and action packed programme featuring authors, poets and performers and a very large yurt for storytelling!

We have two competitions: a pirate themed writing competition for ages 5-11; and a review writing competition for young people aged 11 to 18.

Our programme for young people will launch with a big party at Waterstones on Friday 6th June, 6.30pm with with live music from Lucy and Jo, and award winning author Martyn Bedford.

Amy Keen and Sufiya Ahmed will be at Waterstones on Saturday evening.

We are very excited about our festival head liner. In keeping with our belief in celebrating Leeds’s rich literary heritage, this  legendary Leeds author and playwright is the internationally renowned,  Alan Bennett.  

Download the 2014 programme

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