Featured Events in Huddersfield in May, 2025 (August Updated)

Share an inspiring, uplifting and entertaining evening with Jackie Kay, one of the nation’s best-loved poets and former Scottish Makar (National Poet), to celebrate her long-awaited new poetry collection May Day . A poetry performance will be followed by an in-conversation and an audience Q&A. The poems in May Day cover several decades of political activism, from her childhood accompanying her parents’ Socialist campaigns, through the feminist, LGBT+ and anti-racist movements of the 80s and 90s, up to the present day, when a global pandemic intersects with the urgency of Black Lives Matter. Kay brings to life a cast of influential figures, delving beneath the surfaces of received narratives: the Jamaican model Fanny Eaton, muse of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in England; Paul Robeson, Angela Davis and the poet Audre Lorde; and a ‘what-if’ poem concerning Rabbie Burns and a road-not-taken towards the West Indian slave trade. Woven through the collection is a suite of lyric poems concerning the recent losses of Kay’s parents: poems of grief and profound change that are infused with the light of love and celebration. Jackie Kay was born in Edinburgh. A poet, novelist and writer of short stories, she has enjoyed great acclaim for her work for both adults and children. Her novel, Trumpet , won the Guardian Fiction Prize. She has published three collections of stories with Picador, Why Don’t You Stop Talking, Wish I Was Here and Reality, Reality ; three poetry collections, Fiere, Bantam and May Day ; and her memoir, Red Dust Road . From 2016-21 she was the third modern Makar, National Poet for Scotland. She lives in Manchester and is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Salford. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Learn the top tips for self-publishing in this talk by bestselling local author and publisher of Curious Cat Books, Rachael Hardcastle. Rachael will share invaluable, no-nonsense, honest advice to inspire you to write and journal your way to complete a memoir, a poem, or even a full-length novel. She will share her experience about how to use print-on-demand technology to write, edit and design your book – and how to utilise Amazon to reach potential readers all over the world. Rachael Hardcastle is an Amazon international #1 bestselling author. She writes mostly fantasy and adventure books for young adults and teens – her stories are fun, fast-paced and addictive. Rachael understands that through writing, we face our darkest fears, explore infinite new worlds and realise our true purpose. Creative writing helps us to understand what that purpose is. Since starting her self-publishing experience in 2010, Rachael has worked with many individuals to help make their dreams of publishing a book a reality, including school children! Her imprint, Curious Cat Books, has been responsible for producing gorgeous children’s books, memoirs and more since 2017. https://www.rachaelhardcastle.com/ Access and Covid safety measures : if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Join the Dark Horse team for a special one-off workshop inspired by their upcoming show We're in Love (Actually). Expect engaging games and partner work designed to help you build confidence, explore new movements, and use your voice, all while immersing yourself in the aesthetic of romantic comedies through Dark Horse's signature dramatic approach. The workshop is aimed at people age 18+ who have learning disabilities and/or autism, and who are interested in performing and theatre-making. Dark Horse is a Huddersfield-based company of nine actors with learning disabilities, creating bold, progressive, and visually impactful work. The company has a reputation for creating poignant and entertaining street theatre rooted in physical storytelling. Previous work for HuddLitFest includes the film trilogy #OutBreakOut (commissioned and released online as part of HuddLitFest2021 during a Covid Lockdown), the street theatre performance Making Room at HuddLitFest23, and the moving and impactful performances of When there is always Love in our Tipi in 2024. If you have any queries about the workshop content, please contact: ekaterina@darkhorsetheatre.co.uk Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Join the Culture Collective for a free networking event designed for anyone working in the local creative industry. The event follows on the success of the recent Culture Collective: Creativity in Kirklees day at the Media Centre, which attracted individuals and organisations from a wide range of creative arts. It’s free to attend and there will be complimentary refreshments on offer, thanks to Merrie England. This is your chance to meet, chat and share ideas with individuals and organisations from a wide range of creative arts from the local area. Culture Collective exists to represent and advocate for the cultural sector in Kirklees, by: Bridging the gap between cultural organisations, the local authority and other key policy makers, funders and governing bodies Providing opportunity for discussion, building relationships, collaboration and collective action around sector specific and place-based priorities Working to increase representation within the sector Sharing knowledge and information What people said about Culture Collective’s last event: “Culture Collective and days like these are really significant and important for heritage and culture and what Kirklees is trying to achieve through culture. Culture is the driving force for change.” Qaisar Mahmood, CEO Radio Sangam “Culture Collective and what they are doing today is something that I’ve been yearning to be in the room with for a long time. This is phenomenal. The energy in the room, the way people are engaging, the projects that are happening and the level of the projects are exactly what Huddersfield needs.” Benaiah Matheson, artist and designer “Today has been a show of how many people there are in this sector, how diverse they are in their artforms and their ages and what they’re doing and where they want to go. There’s so much to be proud of in Kirklees and we should champion that.” Becky Dash, CEO Lawrence Batley Theatre “The creative sector within Kirklees is an absolutely thriving sector. There’s lots of people employed in it, the financial value of the sector is huge. It’s the fastest growing sector in Kirklees. Robin Widdowson, Kirklees Council Cultural Development Location: Tipi, Courtyard, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street HD1 2SP Free (booking recommended) Access Guide: https://www.accessable.co.uk/huddersfield-literature-festival/access-guides/lawrence-batley-theatre Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Join Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant to find out how having fewer better things can make us happier. The average person today has nearly five times as many clothes as people did just 50 years ago. Last year 100 billion garments were produced worldwide, most made from oil, 30% of which were not even sold. The equivalent of one bin lorry full of clothing is dumped in landfill or burned every single second. In his latest book Less, he considers how we might make ourselves happier by rediscovering the joy of living with fewer, better quality things. Weaving in his personal journey through fashion, clothing and the other everyday objects in his life, this is a book that celebrates craftsmanship, making things with care, buying things with thought and valuing everything we own. About Patrick Grant With a career in fashion spanning nearly two decades Patrick Grant has a lot to say about our clothing, who makes it and how it’s made. He is a regular on television and radio as a commentator on the clothing and textile industries and is best known as a judge on the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee. Patrick holds an honorary Doctorate from Heriot Watt University, is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and is in the Business of Fashion 500 index of the most influential people in global fashion. In 2016 he launched Community Clothing, a social enterprise which supports thousands of UK jobs through making and selling affordable high-quality clothing. Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. UNDER 16s MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Ten fantastic poets compete to become our 2025 Slam Champ. Hosted by award-winning poet Rose Condo with a special performance by poet Chérie Taylor Battiste and guest spot from our 2024 Slam winner Christopher Bowles. Apply to participate or book tickets to spectate and cheer on the competitors. First Prize: £50, and a guest spot at our 2026 Poetry Slam. To apply: Send a video (max length 3 minutes, phone videos accepted) of you performing your work to HLFPoetrySlam@gmail.com by Monday 14 April. Access and Covid safety measures : if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Terms and Conditions To apply please Send a video (max length three minutes) of you performing your work to HLFPoetrySlam@gmail.com (it’s fine to use a phone to record your video). See above for deadline. We will only view one application per person. Further applications will be ignored. We regret that we cannot view any applications received after the deadline. Successful artists should hear back from us by five working days after the deadline. SLAM RULES Poetry must be your own original work No singing or props. There will be two rounds. The poets will draw numbers from a hat and perform in that order. In the second round the order will be reversed. Poets have 3 minutes to perform their poetry. The clock starts from the very first thing you say - including hello. Points will be deducted for over-running as follows: 1-9 seconds minus 1 point 10-19 seconds minus 2 points 20-29 seconds minus 3 points 30 seconds minus 4 points, host will stop you, you’ll be judged on your incomplete poem. The poets will be scored out of 10 in two categories. Written content and quality of performance. The highest total score over both rounds wins £50. In the event of a tie there will be a final sudden death round. Judges’ decisions are final. Please remember the slam motto: “The points are not the point, the poetry is the point.” Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Acclaimed author and broadcaster Stuart Maconie talks about his latest book: With a Little Help from their Friends. With a subtitle of The Beatles changed the world. But who changed theirs? – this is an engaging, surprising and revealing look at the Beatles story. Everyone knows a Beatles tune. But their story goes beyond the omnipresent songs and iconic albums. Theirs is a tale that has become one of the core stories we tell about ourselves as a nation. The Beatles narrative has both shaped and reflected the country we live in today. Four lads from Liverpool have taken a seat alongside Shakespeare as one of our key cultural exports to the world, a world they changed and re-made in their own image in a blaze of creativity. But these four distinct personalities changed the world not in isolation but with more than a little help from their friends. Like all the best stories there’s an incredible supporting cast, and all the most compelling elements of the great dramas: ambition, power, triumph, disaster, heartbreak, tragedy, drama, intrigue, lust… and of course, love. Split into 3 sections, Before The Beatles, With the Beatles and Beyond the Beatles, bestselling writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie tells the epic tale of the people who made the band who made Britain, and along the way adds his own experiences, encounters and conversations that show the Beatles like you’ve never seen them before. Stuart Maconie is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including: The Nanny State Made Me, Hope and Glory, Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North, The Full English: A Journey in Search of a Country and its People and a memoir Cider With Roadies . He is Britain’s best-selling non-TV-tie-in travel author and has written the official biographies of the bands Blur and James. Host of BBC6 Music’s Radcliffe and Maconie and The Freak Zone, he regularly deputises for other presenters on Radio 2 and 6 Music, as well as presenting long-running shows and documentaries for radio and TV. He writes for various papers and magazine and has a column in the Radio Times. Access and Covid safety measures : if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. UNDER 16s SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Ten fantastic poets compete to become our 2025 Slam Champ. Hosted by award-winning poet Rose Condo with a special performance by poet Chérie Taylor Battiste and guest spot from our 2024 Slam winner Christopher Bowles. Apply to participate or book tickets to spectate and cheer on the competitors. First Prize: £50, and a guest spot at our 2026 Poetry Slam. To apply: Send a video (max length 3 minutes, phone videos accepted) of you performing your work to HLFPoetrySlam@gmail.com by Monday 14 April. Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Terms and Conditions To apply please Send a video (max length three minutes) of you performing your work to HLFPoetrySlam@gmail.com (it’s fine to use a phone to record your video). See above for deadline.We will only view one application per person. Further applications will be ignored.We regret that we cannot view any applications received after the deadline.Successful artists should hear back from us by five working days after the deadline.SLAM RULES Poetry must be your own original workNo singing or props.There will be two rounds. The poets will draw numbers from a hat and perform in that order. In the second round the order will be reversed.Poets have 3 minutes to perform their poetry. The clock starts from the very first thing you say - including hello.Points will be deducted for over-running as follows: 1-9 seconds minus 1 point 10-19 seconds minus 2 points 20-29 seconds minus 3 points 30 seconds minus 4 points, host will stop you, you’ll be judged on your incomplete poem. The poets will be scored out of 10 in two categories. Written content and quality of performance. The highest total score over both rounds wins £50. In the event of a tie there will be a final sudden death round.Judges’ decisions are final. Please remember the slam motto: “The points are not the point, the poetry is the point.” Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Acclaimed author and broadcaster Stuart Maconie talks about his latest book: With a Little Help from their Friends. With a subtitle of The Beatles changed the world. But who changed theirs? – this is an engaging, surprising and revealing look at the Beatles story. Everyone knows a Beatles tune. But their story goes beyond the omnipresent songs and iconic albums. Theirs is a tale that has become one of the core stories we tell about ourselves as a nation. The Beatles narrative has both shaped and reflected the country we live in today. Four lads from Liverpool have taken a seat alongside Shakespeare as one of our key cultural exports to the world, a world they changed and re-made in their own image in a blaze of creativity. But these four distinct personalities changed the world not in isolation but with more than a little help from their friends. Like all the best stories there’s an incredible supporting cast, and all the most compelling elements of the great dramas: ambition, power, triumph, disaster, heartbreak, tragedy, drama, intrigue, lust… and of course, love. Split into 3 sections, Before The Beatles, With the Beatles and Beyond the Beatles, bestselling writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie tells the epic tale of the people who made the band who made Britain, and along the way adds his own experiences, encounters and conversations that show the Beatles like you’ve never seen them before. Stuart Maconie is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including: The Nanny State Made Me, Hope and Glory, Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North, The Full English: A Journey in Search of a Country and its People and a memoir Cider With Roadies. He is Britain’s best-selling non-TV-tie-in travel author and has written the official biographies of the bands Blur and James. Host of BBC6 Music’s Radcliffe and Maconie and The Freak Zone, he regularly deputises for other presenters on Radio 2 and 6 Music, as well as presenting long-running shows and documentaries for radio and TV. He writes for various papers and magazine and has a column in the Radio Times. Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. UNDER 16s SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Explore Huddersfield Town v Leyton Orient sporting information for 3rd May, as well as links for Football tickets and more with Fixture Calendar. Huddersfield Town Football Club, also known as The Terriers, is a professional football team based in the historic town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1908, the club currently competes in the Championship, the second highest division in the English football league system. Over the years, Huddersfield Town has won three league titles, one FA Cup, and one Charity Shield. The team plays their home matches at the 24,124-seater John Smith's Stadium, which offers a fantastic atmosphere for supporters and has a rich history dating back to 1994. The current squad comprises of strong and talented players such as Christopher Schindler, Alex Prichard, and goalkeeper Jonas Lössl. With a dedicated fan base and a successful track record, Huddersfield Town continues to be a formidable force in the world of football. Based in East London, Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football team that competes in the English Football League Two. The team was founded in 1881 and has since then claimed numerous accolades, including the FA Trophy and the Football League Third Division title. Nicknamed the O's , Leyton Orient has produced notable players such as Laurie Cunningham and Peter Shilton, both of whom have represented their national teams. The team plays their home matches at The Breyer Group Stadium, formerly known as Brisbane Road, which has a capacity of over 9,000 spectators. With a strong history and a talented squad, Leyton Orient continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of football. Information Source: fixturecalendar.com

Join David Griffiths, who wrote the story of Greenhead Park, 'Secured For The Town', for a stroll around the Park. David will explain how it came to be established, opening in 1884, and how it has evolved and developed since then. He will point out the main historical features, including some that can easily be missed. This walk has been organised in association with Friends of Greenhead Park. Meeting Point: Main Gates, Trinity Street, HD14DT Information Source: Discover Huddersfield | eventbrite

An evening with one of the stars of Channel 5’s hit show The Yorkshire Vet. In his funny, engaging and honest memoir, Matt Jackson-Smith reveals his journey so far – from watching The Yorkshire Vet with his gran to becoming one of the TV show’s most popular animal experts. A celebration of his life and career so far, My Life as a Yorkshire Vet is packed with amusing anecdotes and heartwarming tales, from dealing with exotic wildcats and crocs to dramatic emergency Caesarean sections on dairy cows, and from open-shell operations on tortoises to looking after a care home’s beloved budgie. Matt Jackson-Smith trained as a vet at the University of Glasgow, the same place where the world’s most famous vet Alf Wight (James Herriot) trained. He now works at Donaldson’s Vets in Huddersfield as a mixed vet, treating farm and small animals, and in 2020 he joined Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet. Matt also features in The Yorkshire Vet: At Home With The Greens and Channel 5’s Springtime and Winter on the Farm. He lives in West Yorkshire with his wife and baby daughter. Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. UNDER 16s SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

A chance to take part in a fiction workshop taught by award-winning novelist and creative writing tutor Okechukwu Nzelu. Setting can be one of the most crucial parts of fiction: it’s how your characters experience the world, and it can help make that world more convincing. But how can writers portray setting powerfully? Which aspects of it are most important? How do we convey the complexity of a whole world, without boring or alienating our readers? In this workshop, we’ll use discussions, writing prompts and extracts from published work to explore all these questions, and help you develop the portrayal of setting in your own writing. Dr Okechukwu Nzelu FRSL won a Northern Writers' Award from New Writing North in 2015. His debut novel, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney (Dialogue Books, 2019), won a Betty Trask Award; it was also shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Polari First Book Prize, and longlisted for the Portico Prize. In 2021, it was selected for the Kingston University Big Read and distributed to all staff and students at three universities. His second novel, Here Again Now (Dialogue Books, 2022) was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award, the Polari Prize, the Jhalak Prize and the Diverse Book Awards. He has made several appearances on national radio, and is a regular contributor to Kinfolk magazine. He is a non-executive director of ALCS and CLA, and Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. In 2024 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Access and Covid safety measures : if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Hosted by poetic comedian Zee, and drag king musician Ding Frisby, Out + Loud is an open mic night for queer performers of all kinds. Performers of music, poetry, comedy and cabaret are all invited to take part. Email outnloud.events@gmail.com to reserve a five-minute slot, or sign up on the night! Allies welcome to cheer on. Out + Loud is a Huddersfield-based queer arts collective that aims to build local queer community and platforms for emerging talent. Note: this event will follow Polari: Celebrating LGBTQ+ writing talent . Access and Covid safety measures : if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Enjoy fabulous performances from a diverse and talented line-up of LGBTQ+ writers. Hosted by bestselling author and journalist Paul Burston, the evening will showcase the work of acclaimed and award-winning novelist Okechukwu Nzelu, trans, non-binary, neurodivergent writer and cabaret artist Hook, and writer, poet and March Violets singer Rosie Garland. The event will start at 7pm with a 15-minute break, approx finish time 8.45pm. Followed at 9pm by Out + Loud LGBTQ+ open mic. About Polari Founded by author and journalist Paul Burston in a bar in Soho in 2007, award-winning literary salon Polari showcases and celebrates the best in LGBTQ+ poetry and writing. The Polari Prize is the UK’s only book prize for LGBTQ+ writing. It comprises three awards: Book of the Year, Debut book and children’s/YA prize. Paul Burston is curator and host of award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon Polari and founder of the Polari Prize book awards for LGBTQ+ writers. In 2016, he featured in the British Council’s Global List of ‘33 visionary people promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world’. Paul is the author of six novels and five non-fiction books, and the editor of two short-story collections. His bestselling memoir We Can Be Heroes: A Survivor’s Story was published in 2023. Rosie Garland writes poetry, long and short fiction, and sings with post-punk band The March Violets. Poetry collection What Girls Do in the Dark (Nine Arches Press) was shortlisted for the Polari Prize 2021. Her latest novel, The Fates (Quercus) is a retelling of the Greek myth of the Fates, and her first collection of short fiction Your Sons & Your Daughters Are Beyond is out now (Fly On The Wall Press). In 2023, she was made Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and Val McDermid has named her one of the most compelling LGBT+ writers in the UK today. http://www.rosiegarland.com/ Hook is a trans, non-binary, neurodivergent mythical creature, writer, and cabaret artist. They use the pronouns they/them and hehe/hym. Hook is currently touring their new cabaret-comedy The Wheel of Nouns and has also previously written and then performed their work with Queer Arts at Pride 2024, Polari Literary Salon at Theatre 41, Roots Theatre at The York Theatre Royal, and The Wonderhaus Cabaret at The Wardrobe Theatre. Dr Okechukwu Nzelu FRSL won a Northern Writers' Award from New Writing North in 2015. His debut novel The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney won a Betty Trask Award and his second novel Here Again Now was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award, the Polari Prize, the Jhalak Prize and the Diverse Book Awards. He is a non-executive director of ALCS and CLA, and Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. In 2024 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. https://www.nzelu.org/ Access and Covid safety measures : if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

A chance to take part in a fiction workshop taught by award-winning novelist and creative writing tutor Okechukwu Nzelu. Setting can be one of the most crucial parts of fiction: it’s how your characters experience the world, and it can help make that world more convincing. But how can writers portray setting powerfully? Which aspects of it are most important? How do we convey the complexity of a whole world, without boring or alienating our readers? In this workshop, we’ll use discussions, writing prompts and extracts from published work to explore all these questions, and help you develop the portrayal of setting in your own writing. Dr Okechukwu Nzelu FRSL won a Northern Writers' Award from New Writing North in 2015. His debut novel, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney (Dialogue Books, 2019), won a Betty Trask Award; it was also shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Polari First Book Prize, and longlisted for the Portico Prize. In 2021, it was selected for the Kingston University Big Read and distributed to all staff and students at three universities. His second novel, Here Again Now (Dialogue Books, 2022) was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award, the Polari Prize, the Jhalak Prize and the Diverse Book Awards. He has made several appearances on national radio, and is a regular contributor to Kinfolk magazine. He is a non-executive director of ALCS and CLA, and Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. In 2024 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Hosted by poetic comedian Zee, and drag king musician Ding Frisby, Out + Loud is an open mic night for queer performers of all kinds. Performers of music, poetry, comedy and cabaret are all invited to take part. Email outnloud.events@gmail.com to reserve a five-minute slot, or sign up on the night! Allies welcome to cheer on. Out + Loud is a Huddersfield-based queer arts collective that aims to build local queer community and platforms for emerging talent. Note: this event will follow Polari: Celebrating LGBTQ+ writing talent. Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

If you’re a fan of gripping mysteries with bold characters and unexpected twists then you’ll love this event! Yvonne Battle-Felton and Lisa Rookes chat about their compelling new novels, both set in small communities where dark secrets are revealed with dramatic consequences. Yvonne Battle-Felton’s latest novel welcomes you to Curdle Creek, an all-Black town in rural America governed by a tradition of ominous rituals and a strict policy of one in, one out. When Osira is forced into the great unknown, she comes face-to-face with those she believed were lost – and the sinister reality of her birthplace unravels around her. In Lisa Rooke’s The Village, it’s no surprise when popular Joni Blackwood is crowned Gallows Queen on All Gallows’ Eve, but the following morning she is missing. When human remains are found in the church graveyard, everyone is quick to make assumptions. But this is only the start of dark truths in the village coming to light. Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, host, creative producer and writer. Remembered (Dialogue Books/Blackstone Publishing) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Yvonne has nonfiction children’s titles in Penguin Random House’s Ladybird series. Curdle Creek (Henry Holt/Dialogue Books) was published in October 2024. Yvonne is the Academic Director of Creative Writing at Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education and a Senior Commissioning Editor at John Murray. Lisa Rookes is an award-winning journalist and lecturer. Her debut novel The Village will be followed by The Empty Cradle in August 2025. She spent the start of her career as a crime reporter and news editor before moving to national newspapers and women’s magazines. She is currently head of the undergraduate Journalism programme at the University of Sheffield and has won further multiple awards for her teaching. She lives in Holmfirth with her two sons, an arthritic Labrador and a disabled pug. Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Enjoy fabulous performances from a diverse and talented line-up of LGBTQ+ writers. Hosted by bestselling author and journalist Paul Burston, the evening will showcase the work of acclaimed and award-winning novelist Okechukwu Nzelu, trans, non-binary, neurodivergent writer and cabaret artist Hook, and writer, poet and March Violets singer Rosie Garland. The event will start at 7pm with a 15-minute break, approx finish time 8.45pm. Followed at 9pm by Out + Loud LGBTQ+ open mic. About Polari Founded by author and journalist Paul Burston in a bar in Soho in 2007, award-winning literary salon Polari showcases and celebrates the best in LGBTQ+ poetry and writing. The Polari Prize is the UK’s only book prize for LGBTQ+ writing. It comprises three awards: Book of the Year, Debut book and children’s/YA prize. Paul Burston is curator and host of award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon Polari and founder of the Polari Prize book awards for LGBTQ+ writers. In 2016, he featured in the British Council’s Global List of ‘33 visionary people promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world’. Paul is the author of six novels and five non-fiction books, and the editor of two short-story collections. His bestselling memoir We Can Be Heroes: A Survivor’s Story was published in 2023. Rosie Garland writes poetry, long and short fiction, and sings with post-punk band The March Violets. Poetry collection What Girls Do in the Dark (Nine Arches Press) was shortlisted for the Polari Prize 2021. Her latest novel, The Fates (Quercus) is a retelling of the Greek myth of the Fates, and her first collection of short fiction Your Sons & Your Daughters Are Beyond is out now (Fly On The Wall Press). In 2023, she was made Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and Val McDermid has named her one of the most compelling LGBT+ writers in the UK today. http://www.rosiegarland.com/ Hook is a trans, non-binary, neurodivergent mythical creature, writer, and cabaret artist. They use the pronouns they/them and hehe/hym. Hook is currently touring their new cabaret-comedy The Wheel of Nouns and has also previously written and then performed their work with Queer Arts at Pride 2024, Polari Literary Salon at Theatre 41, Roots Theatre at The York Theatre Royal, and The Wonderhaus Cabaret at The Wardrobe Theatre. Dr Okechukwu Nzelu FRSL won a Northern Writers' Award from New Writing North in 2015. His debut novel The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney won a Betty Trask Award and his second novel Here Again Now was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award, the Polari Prize, the Jhalak Prize and the Diverse Book Awards. He is a non-executive director of ALCS and CLA, and Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. In 2024 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. https://www.nzelu.org/ Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Join us for a practical workshop in Nastaliq Arabic Calligraphy using bamboo pens and handmade inks. Razwan Ul-Haq will lead the practical workshop and also talk about traditional calligraphy and how it is used today. For adults, and young people over 11 (who will need to be accompanied by an adult). Razwan Ul-Haq is a QEST Scholar (Royal Warrant Holders Association) and is a widely exhibited artist whose work has been displayed in many galleries and museums. He regularly delivers lectures and talks and Arabic Calligraphy workshops. His commissions include Land Art for the Tour de France and he is one of only few artists whose work was projected alongside the immersive Van Gogh Exhibition in 2023. His work has appeared in various platforms including Channel 4, BBC Radio 4, The Times, ITV, and USA Today. Fnd out more at: www.ulhaq.com Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Two critically acclaimed Yorkshire writers discuss their latest folk horror novels.     David Barnett’s Scuttler’s Cove is an eerie tale with a sinister supernatural twist. A young woman returns to the quaint Cornish village where she grew up to find it taken over by second and holiday homes. But something old and terrible is awakening beneath the town, bringing a horror that the residents have fought for generations to keep a secret.     Michael Stewart’s Black Wood Women is a visceral tale set in 17th-century Yorkshire. After the murder of her parents, a young Catholic Irish girl flees to a forest, where she meets a coven of women who refuse to follow men’s rules. Having found acceptance at last, she is unaware that an outside threat means their days in the forest are numbered.    About the authors  David Barnett is an author, journalist and comic book writer based in West Yorkshire. He writes in a range of genres for various publishers, works for a wide variety of press outlets including the Guardian, Independent and BBC, and in comics has written for DC, 2000AD and more. His previous novels include Withered Hill, The Handover, Things Can Only Get Better and Calling Major Tom.    Michael Stewart is a multi-award-winning novelist, short story writer, poet and playwright. He is the author of four novels, including King Crow and Ill Will: The Untold Story of Heathcliff, a memoir Walking the Invisible, two short story collections, two poetry collections, and numerous plays for radio and theatre. He is also the creator of the Brontë Stones project. Michael is the Editor-in-Chief of Grist Books and the Director of the  Brontë Writing Centre  in Haworth.    Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request.   Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Performances by the next generation of spoken word talent from the West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate Programme 2024-5 Shortlist with a Young Laureates Open Mic. Enjoy an afternoon of poetry at our third open mic event celebrating the incredible talent from the 2024-25 West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate Programme! Dive into the powerful words of the Young Poet Laureates for West Yorkshire and the shortlisted young poets. Hosted by poet Sharena Lee Satti. In 2023, the National Literacy Trust partnered with the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin and National Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to inspire the next generation of young poets in West Yorkshire with a week of poet-led school activities and a competition to appoint the first-ever Young Poet Laureates for West Yorkshire. Entries are judged in two categories (Year 4 and Years 9-10). The new West Yorkshire Poet Laureates were announced in February this year as Max from Wakefield (Year 4) and Ayeshah from Calderdale (Year 9). Find out more at: West Yorkshire Poet Laureate 2025 | National Literacy Trust Sharena Lee Satti is a Bradford-based spoken word artist, poet, event host, workshop facilitator and educator. Her debut collection SHE (2020) was followed by a new collection Shhhhhhhhh in 2023. Sharena was nominated as a ‘Positive Role Model’ at the National Diversity Awards and hosts her own monthly radio poetry show, Spoke. https://www.sharenaleesatti.com/ Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Age guidance: 7+ (U16s should be accompanied by an adult) Access Guide: https://www.accessable.co.uk/huddersfield-literature-festival/access-guides/syngenta-cellar Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Learn the top tips for self-publishing in this talk by bestselling local author and publisher of Curious Cat Books, Rachael Hardcastle. Rachael will share invaluable, no-nonsense, honest advice to inspire you to write and journal your way to complete a memoir, a poem, or even a full-length novel. She will share her experience about how to use print-on-demand technology to write, edit and design your book – and how to utilise Amazon to reach potential readers all over the world. Rachael Hardcastle is an Amazon international #1 bestselling author. She writes mostly fantasy and adventure books for young adults and teens – her stories are fun, fast-paced and addictive. Rachael understands that through writing, we face our darkest fears, explore infinite new worlds and realise our true purpose. Creative writing helps us to understand what that purpose is. Since starting her self-publishing experience in 2010, Rachael has worked with many individuals to help make their dreams of publishing a book a reality, including school children! Her imprint, Curious Cat Books, has been responsible for producing gorgeous children’s books, memoirs and more since 2017. https://www.rachaelhardcastle.com/ Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Join us for our free Festival Tipi launch, followed by an Open Mic night – all welcome! To celebrate the centenary of the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, the launch theme will be The Great Gatsby . Come dressed up and enjoy discounted drinks. Booking not essential, but will help us with our planning. In partnership with Huddersfield Live, sponsored by Huddersfield BID and with the support of Lawrence Batley Theatre. Creative Writing Society Open Mic – 7pm-8.30pm The launch will include a Creative Writing Society Open Mic from 7pm-8.30pm. Organised by the University of Huddersfield’s Creative Writing Society, the open mic will be hosted by local writer and university postgraduate Joseph Blythe. It will feature early career writers debuting their prose, poetry and stand-up – with slots for any audience members who would like to get up and perform, simply sign up on the night. Following launch night, the Tipi will open daily to Sunday 18 May, with a Festival Wrap Party that evening. Location: Tipi, Courtyard, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield HD1 2SP Free (booking recommended) Access Guide: https://www.accessable.co.uk/huddersfield-literature-festival/access-guides/lawrence-batley-theatre Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Like the TARDIS in Doctor Who, we’re all Bigger on the Inside . Join stand-up poet and BBC radio regular Kate Fox on a funny, thought-provoking and poetic trip through time and space as she uncovers new ways to think about labels like Autism and ADHD. She finds inspiration in Doctor Who and in the passionate happiness of neurodivergent joy. She imagines a universe in which “it’s understood that energy ebbs and flows in people and spaces” and “eye contact, body language and facial expressions are not policed or queried” while taking us on a sci fi journey of hope and healing. Sponsored by Sleigh & Story Kate Fox is a stand-up poet, spoken word artist and broadcaster. She is a regular contributor to Radio 4’s spoken word cabaret “The Verb”, has made two comedy series for Radio 4, been Poet in Residence for the Glastonbury Festival and the Great North Run and completed a PhD in stand-up comedy. She is the author of Where There’s Muck There’s Bras: True Stories of the North of England’s Women published by Harper North, and poetry collections including On Sycamore Gap (Harper North, 2024), Bigger On the Inside (Smokestack Books, 2024) and The Oscillations (Nine Arches Press, 2021). She is also a neurodivergent advocate whose latest show “Bigger on the Inside” explores neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who. Access and Covid safety measures : if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. UNDER 16s SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Writing Where Your Own Nature Would be Leading (as Emily Bronte wrote…)    Radio 4 regular and author of On Sycamore Gap Kate Fox will lead a creative writing/poetry workshop suitable for all levels of writer, from absolute beginner to experienced, focusing on wellbeing. We’ll look at what we need to flourish and thrive – and how that might be reflected in the natural world. There will be a mixture of fun, practical exercises and prompts.    This workshop will draw on Kate’s current interest in the links between neurodiversity and biodiversity.    Kate Fox is a stand-up poet, spoken word artist and broadcaster. She is a regular contributor to Radio 4’s spoken word cabaret “The Verb”, has made two comedy series for Radio 4, been Poet in Residence for the Glastonbury Festival and the Great North Run and completed a PhD in stand-up comedy.     She is the author of Where There’s Muck There’s Bras: True Stories of the North of England’s Women published by Harper North, and poetry collections including On Sycamore Gap (Harper North, 2024), Bigger On the Inside (Smokestack Books, 2024) and The Oscillations (Nine Arches Press, 2021). She is also a neurodivergent advocate whose latest show “Bigger on the Inside" explores neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who.     Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Experience the captivating performance of "Kate Fox – Bigger on the Inside" at Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield. This thought-provoking event is scheduled for May 13, 2025, offering a unique opportunity to witness Kate Fox's talent live on stage. Explore the address at Queen Street, Huddersfield, HD1 2SP, and immerse yourself in an evening of entertainment that ranges from £0 to £11.55 per ticket. Don't miss out on this exceptional show that promises to leave a lasting impression.

Join us for our free Festival Tipi launch, followed by an Open Mic night – all welcome! To celebrate the centenary of the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, the launch theme will be The Great Gatsby. Come dressed up and enjoy discounted drinks. Booking not essential, but will help us with our planning. In partnership with Huddersfield Live, sponsored by Huddersfield BID and with the support of Lawrence Batley Theatre. Creative Writing Society Open Mic – 7pm-8.30pm The launch will include a Creative Writing Society Open Mic from 7pm-8.30pm. Organised by the University of Huddersfield’s Creative Writing Society, the open mic will be hosted by local writer and university postgraduate Joseph Blythe. It will feature early career writers debuting their prose, poetry and stand-up – with slots for any audience members who would like to get up and perform, simply sign up on the night. Following launch night, the Tipi will open daily to Sunday 18 May, with a Festival Wrap Party that evening. Location: Tipi, Courtyard, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield HD1 2SP Free (booking recommended) Access Guide: https://www.accessable.co.uk/huddersfield-literature-festival/access-guides/lawrence-batley-theatre Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Hardeep Singh Sahota talks about the ideas and stories that inspired Rassam, a photographic project with John Slemensek-Thorne that explores South Asian dance, traditions and celebrations. Dance forms, such as Bhangra and Giddha, have a rich history and are celebrated by communities across the world. Weddings are a notable celebration that gives the opportunity to explore these dance practices and traditions, otherwise known as ‘Rassams’. Communities from the South Asian diaspora living here in Kirklees are now in their third and fourth generations, and these dances are still being celebrated. Hardeep will share his insights into these traditions and the background to the exhibition, which is on display in the bar area of Lawrence Batley Theatre (open Wed-Sat, 10am-5pm and 90 minutes before show times). Project curated by: Hardeep Singh Sahota Photography by: John Slemensek-Thorne of Studio Bokehgo Additional Photography: by Hardeep Singh Sahota With kind support from: Arts Council England, Lawrence Batley Theatre, University of Huddersfield, Studio Bokehgo & Evoke Kirklees Hardeep Singh Sahota is a Huddersfield-based practitioner and specialist in Bhangra. He wrote the book Bhangra: Mystics, Music and Migration, which originated in academic research and the Heritage Lottery-funded Bhangra Renaissance project. Hardeep is an Affiliate Fellow at the University of Huddersfield, in recognition of his research and work with the local community. John Slemensek-Thorne is a film director at Studio Bokehgo, an artisan film and photography storytelling studio focused on shining a spotlight on the inspirational, spectacular and talented people, places and moments around the world. Location:Gallery, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield HD1 2SP Free (booking recommended) Access Guide: https://www.accessable.co.uk/huddersfield-literature-festival/access-guides/lawrence-batley-theatre Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite

Writing Where Your Own Nature Would be Leading (as Emily Bronte wrote…) Radio 4 regular and author of On Sycamore Gap Kate Fox will lead a creative writing/poetry workshop suitable for all levels of writer, from absolute beginner to experienced, focusing on wellbeing. We’ll look at what we need to flourish and thrive – and how that might be reflected in the natural world. There will be a mixture of fun, practical exercises and prompts. This workshop will draw on Kate’s current interest in the links between neurodiversity and biodiversity. Kate Fox is a stand-up poet, spoken word artist and broadcaster. She is a regular contributor to Radio 4’s spoken word cabaret “The Verb”, has made two comedy series for Radio 4, been Poet in Residence for the Glastonbury Festival and the Great North Run and completed a PhD in stand-up comedy.  She is the author of Where There’s Muck There’s Bras: True Stories of the North of England’s Women published by Harper North, and poetry collections including On Sycamore Gap (Harper North, 2024), Bigger On the Inside (Smokestack Books, 2024) and The Oscillations (Nine Arches Press, 2021). She is also a neurodivergent advocate whose latest show “Bigger on the Inside explores neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who.  Access and Covid safety measures: if you have specific access needs or queries and/or prefer to be seated away from other audience members as a Covid safety measure, please contact our Admin at: info@huddlitfest.org.uk with your request. Information Source: Huddersfield Literature Festival | eventbrite