Leeds Lit Fest 2020 Coming To A Venue Near You! 4th-8th March.

We’re bringing the party to Leeds in just 10 days time! More than 100 amazing events in 35 venues across the city from Wednesday 4 March to Sunday 8  March.

Author Helen Fielding by Alisa Connan

LLF20’s ambitious programme has something for all ages and interests. Headline events include talks from Amanda Owen, The Yorkshire Shepherdess, Stuart Maconie, Jenny Éclair and Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, all at Carriageworks Theatre. AC Grayling, journalist Gavin Esler and Whitbread Sports Book of the Year multiple winner, Duncan Hamilton will be at The Leeds Library whilst Dave Haslam will be talking at Hyde Park Book Club.

There are a number of literary inspired theatre performances, literature and poetry walks, immersive experiences, music, spoken word nights and storytelling events not just in the city centre but city wide. These will include a specially commissioned Leeds Lit Adventure Walk that will take participants in, around and through many of the city’s iconic buildings meeting characters and hearing writing inspired from the city of Leeds. German based Live Artist Ant Hampton will bring his unique Quiet Volume immersive experience to 3 of the city’s finest libraries including the Leeds Library, Leeds Central Library and the Brotherton Library. Mill Hill Chapel will host Long Division, a literature inspired sound installation by IOU Theatre.

Its Inspiring the City programme supported by Leeds Inspired, will take place all over the city and its districts and in a variety of venues and which will bring Leeds Lit Fest right into the heart of communities. One element of this programme will encourage people from Leeds to get into writing through a number of writing workshops led by Yorkshire based writers and authors such as Michael Stewart and Clare Fisher. Part of this is Leeds Lit Fest Podcast series commissioned to encourage writer development based on these workshops along with further podcasts by local writers released in advance of March’s Festival. Each of the latter features a writer currently working in Leeds like Malika Booker and Rommi Smith and will be recorded on location somewhere in the city. In response to their surroundings in that moment, writers will talk about the relationship between their own writing and the idea of place. The final strand of the Inspiring the City Programme will be a programme of events in a variety of venues including libraries, pubs, theatres and clubs in several Leeds districts including Guiseley, Farsley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Moor Allerton and Roundhay. These events will be Pay What You Feel so that there are no barriers to anyone attending. Appearing will be writers Chris Nickson and Frances Brody, spoken word artists Kevin P Gilday and Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin, world class storytellers from the Shaggy Dog Club and many more.

There’s also a range of fantastic family friendly events at Leeds Central Library on the weekend of the Festival. On the Saturday, there’s a variety of workshops from renowned authors such as Kate Pankhurst, Chris Mould, Liz Flanagan, Bethan Woollvin and more that children can take part in to either help with their writing or their drawing skills, or both. And to round the weekend off, you can come along to a family show on the Sunday, Mole and Gecko – an interactive rap musical.

Carl Hutton, Chair of Leeds Lit Fest said, “Leeds Lit Fest is really looking forward to exciting and inspiring the city with its 2020 Lit Fest programme. We hope as many people as possible will get involved in March in the largest literature event that the city has ever had. You can download the programme from the Festival’s website or pick up your copy from venues all around the city. We would love you to join us for Leeds Lit Fest 2020. Tickets are flying out so don’t leave it too late to book for the events you really want to see. There really is something for everyone.”

Download the programme here or pick up your copy from many venues across the city.

 

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