Jones, Logan and Bragg headline Ilkley Literature Festival

Ruth Jones, Gabby Logan and Melvyn Bragg are among those headlining this year’s Ilkley Literature Festival. 

The festival opens on 7th October and runs until 23rd October, offering more than 90 in-person and digital events. Talks and workshops are hosted at All Saints’ Church, Ilkley Grammar School, Ilkley Playhouse and King’s Hall. 

Five festival themes feature in the programme: The Things We Leave Behind, Hidden Figures, The Books That Made Us, Big Britain vs Little England, and Explore Moor – a pun on Ilkley’s famed moor. 

Jones will discuss her new novel Love Untold (Bantam Press), a heart-warming story of mothers, daughters and final chances. Logan will talk about her memoir The First Half (Piatkus), detailing her brother’s early death, her father’s alcoholism, and navigating sexism at work. Broadcaster Bragg will offer a personal insight into his life with Back in the Day (Sceptre). 

Ardal O’Hanlon, star of TV comedy series “Father Ted”, will feature with his darkly comic novel and satire on Ireland’s politics, Brouhaha (HarperCollins Ireland).

Festival favourite Gyles Brandreth also returns with his romp through British history, A History of Britain in Just a Minute (BBC Digital) inspired by the Radio 4 show. 

Lord Chris Pattern explores the historic moment Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese, with his five-year account of the event, The Hong Kong Diaries (Allen Lane). Sir Vince Cable, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats, will talk about his new book How to be a Politician (Ebury).  

Erica Morris, Ilkley Literature Festival director, said: “The aim of the festival is to bring people together to create conversations, tackle tricky topics and encourage exploration. It is a fantastic chance to broaden our horizons after the difficult last few years. Books are truly adventures into other lives and worlds. We hope our annual literary celebration offers a tonic to audiences, who we can’t wait to welcome in glorious Ilkley.” 

Tickets will go on general sale from 30th August. Friends of the Festival can book from 24th August. The full programme can be found at www.ilkleylitfest.org.uk.