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The legendary bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and poet Jah Wobble will be making an appearance at the Huddersfield Literature Festival next week. The Stockport-based musician – whose current band members mostly hail from Huddersfield – will be lifting the lid on...

By Chelsea Cull Darwin’s revelations and writing have outlived him in such a way that he is a household name. While not all agree with his theories, the thought, research and scientific knowledge put into them is unquestionable. However, one of the lesser known...

Thirty years' ago today, The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks was first published. Since that date, many thousands of people have read the darkly funny tale of Frank's strange adventures. The book was published on Iain Banks' 30th birthday - today should have been his...

Landscape and a sense of place can be a powerful tool in a novel. The novelist’s evocation of the setting where he or she chooses to place his characters – or where he or she happens to stumble across them, depending on your point of view – can be so powerful that the...

by E Kate Marsden What was your dream when you were younger? What or who did you want to be when you grew up? Who was or is your role model? For me, there was one person who stands out who motivated and inspired me, even, to want to become a journalist. That person is...

What do you think when you hear the word “feminist”? The chances are that some of you will stop reading straight away – whether male or female. Why is that? Do you think sexism no longer exists, do you think feminism isn’t the route to equality – or do you think the...

Michelle Hodgson - Festival Director With author Jeremy Dyson, who appeared at HLF2013 Behind the scenes at the festival Festivals are fun – you can meet your favourite authors and find out where they get their ideas, listen to poetry readings and hopefully feel...

Guest blog by Rose Condo, actor, poet and head of Community Engagement at the Lawrence Batley Theatre A couple of months ago I was invited to perform some of my poetry at a cabaret night in Leeds. The venue was a funky performance space in a pub, and the crowd was...

Creative writing in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside If you think about it, great literature, storytelling and poetry are simply the right combination of words, all thrown together in the right way. Similarly, the foundation for a great Arvon week comprises the...

A moving lecture and inspiring poetry from Lemn Sissay A giant whale, growing up in care, identity and name - you might wonder what links all of these subjects together. Last week, Huddersfield Literature Festival patron, Lemn Sissay MBE, gave a free lecture at the...

Guest blog by Sally Marshall of Dark Horse Theatre After delivering workshops and talks with local writers groups in the area, with swathes of positive and enthusiastic feedback, it is clear to all of us at Dark Horse Theatre that there’s a vast interest and talent...

Last week I gave an assembly for 220 pupils aged 13-14 at Westborough High School in Dewsbury. The school librarian Sarah-Jane Loughran had invited me to speak to the pupils to tell them about the literature festival but also to talk about the importance of books and...