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TheIlkley Literature Festival is aliterature festival held annually inIlkley,Yorkshire. Inaugurated in 1973 by the poetW. H. Auden and until 1988 held every two years, the festival is the oldest and largest of its type in thenorth of England.[1]
The Ilkley Literature Festival is an annual event inIlkley.[2] Attracting many important international literary figures, its two-week programme, starting at the end of September, now features more than 250 events, which take place in a variety of venues in Ilkley and surrounding towns and villages. The festival includes events for children and young people and a festival fringe.
In 1971 Ilkley residents Michael Dawson (then-Director of the Yorkshire Arts Association) and Peter Harland (editor of theTelegraph & Argus and Chair of the Yorkshire Arts Literature Panel) began discussing the possibility of a festival for the town. Dawson had visitedCheltenham Literature Festival and Harland suggested trying something similar in Ilkley. A seven-week postal strike with no letters to answer gave Dawson the opportunity to draw up some concrete proposals.[3] The Yorkshire Arts Association literature panel approved the plans and promised a grant provided the urban district council made a similar commitment. On 10 February 1972, a small group met at Dawson's house in Ilkley. They includedLeeds University lecturerRobin Alston andManor House Museum curator Arthur Kitching.Donald Baverstock, Director of Programmes atYTV who lived locally, also offered to help. At a meeting at theIlkley Town Hall in March 1972, the group organised asteering committee and local councillor, Molly Renton (the only woman) became the Chair.
The first festival, which took place in April 1973 and was opened byW. H. Auden during the last year of his life.[4] In 1988, the festival began to be held annually.[5] Since 2003, the festival has been directed by Rachel Feldberg.[6]