Director’s Welcome

Bradford Literature Festival 2022 DIRECTOR’S WELCOME

I am delighted to welcome you to the eighth annual Bradford literature Festival (BLF). Our live, in-person 2022 festival will feature over 500 events for adults and children across 10 remarkable days. This year’s festival will welcome some of the most inspirational, and creative minds from across the globe. Literature, poetry, politics, science and history are just some of the worlds BLF welcomes you to explore through the words of our guests, who include Robert Peston, Alastair Campbell, Ben Okri, John Barnes, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, and Ed Balls.

Popular annual flagship events including Poetry with a Punch, An Evening of Comedy, and the ever-popular Brontë Day will return alongside panel discussions ranging from the 75th anniversaries of the Partition of British India and the publication of Anne Frank’s Diary to the Platinum Jubilee and 100 years since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. New annual themes include a David Hockney Day and events In Memory of Andalusia which reimagine the ‘golden age’ of cultural dialogue between Jewish and Muslim communities.

I am delighted to announce new partnerships with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Victoria & Albert Museum and The Piece Hall and especially proud that BLF will take up the mantle from Free Word. We look forward to honouring their substantial artistic legacy with a series of events focused on freedom of expression. As the largest literature festival in the north of England, BLF is a key part of the levelling-up agenda for the North. In recognition of the vital contribution of the creative industries to the economy, BLF is launching a Creative Economic Conference.

Based in the heart of the youngest city in Europe, BLF is focused on raising aspirations to enable social mobility through economic engagement. At a time when there is a cost-of-living crisis, we are proud to continue to run a free education and family programme as well as operating an ethical ticketing policy. This enables the city’s most disadvantaged residents and young people to attend the festival and help shape the future. We would not be able to create this offer of a world-class, destination festival without the support of our sponsors and funders. I would like to thank the Department of Media, Culture and Sport, Arts Council England, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Free Word, Peter Sowerby Foundation, Paul Hamlyn, and Bradford City Council for their generous support. The continued support of Pears Foundation, the University of Bradford, the Bank of England, Baillie Gifford, BBC Studios, LCF Law, The Midland Hotel and Waterstones has also been vital for the continued success of the festival.

In a world where words are increasingly being used to confine and constrict freedom of expression, join us for ten days of exploring words to discover new worlds.