Leeds Lit Fest returns for 2022!

Source: Leeds Lit Fest

The award-winning Leeds Lit Festival is back better than ever before for its 4th year!

The festival celebrates Leeds’ thriving literature community, taking place from Saturday 26th Feb to Sunday 6th March, with local writers, performers and artists showcasing their talents across Leeds in 50 extraordinary events.

Their programme has something for everyone with comedy, cabaret, film screenings, art exhibitions, theatre performance, and creative workshops sitting alongside more traditional literary talks, book readings and poetry events for book lovers.

This year’s theme is ‘Boundaries’, which has inspired many of the programmed events across subjects as diverse as travel, politics, law, personal memoir and environment.   

Leeds Lit Fest is delivered by 9 Leeds-based creative arts and literature-based organisations, are committed to celebrating and championing literature and writing in Leeds. The festival aims to engage and inspire its people to get involved in creative activities linked to literature. In 2020, Leeds Lit Fest won Best Literary Festival at the national Saboteur Awards after being shortlisted in 2019.

Source: Leeds Lit Fest

Organisations such as Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds Libraries, The Leeds Big Bookend, Carriageworks Theatre, MILIM, The Leeds Library, Leeds Church Institute, Strix, and Headingley LitFest, supported by independent bookshop Truman Books in Farsley are the ones who make this festival come to life!

Carl Hutton, Chair of the Leeds Lit Fest said: “We are really pleased that for the 4th year running we have been able to bring together a festival which will appeal to many people from across the city. Despite the uncertainty of the last 12 months, we have brought together a programme that champions new writers, authors, and poets alongside nationally renowned figures such as Peter Hain and AC Grayling. 

“We hope as many people as possible will feel able to support the festival whether it’s by visiting an exhibition, going to a workshop, watching a film, or meeting an author at one of the many talks. We have also committed to producing a live-streamed podcast presenting some of the characters of the festival each weekday, as a way of introducing new people to the Lit Fest.”

Leeds Library. Source: Leeds Lit Fest

Award-winning children’s authors Andy Mulligan and Steve Cole will launch the festival at Leeds Central Library on Saturday 26th and will include other children’s and family events like author talks, poetry, and performance.

A Bronte themed Cabaret evening will take place on Sat 5th March, followed by a performance at Carriageworks Theatre on Sun 6th March from Commoners Choir and a Salon du Chocolat. 

Some of the most iconic buildings in the city are used for the festival. Trinity Church in Leeds city centre will host the ‘Seeing Asylum exhibition’ through stories, words and voices that present the lived experience of asylum seekers. 

Fiona Gell from the Leeds Big Bookend and Northern Short Story Festival said: “The festival has always made sure there is a strong connection with local writers and poets and this year is no different. Leeds-based Commoners Choir (led by Boff Whalley) and Harmony Choir (a choir of refugees led by Frances Bernstein) will perform their song ‘Looking Out, Reaching Out’, which is a call for people of West Yorkshire to make connections with places right around the world.”

All events will be taking place in front of a live audience and will be live streamed so that literature lovers across the world can join to experience this heartfelt festival. The festival has also made a number of events a pay as you feel admission policy.

For full information on the festival, including programme updates and ticket information head to its website or social media pages below:

www.leedslitfest.co.uk| Facebook: @LeedsLitFest | Twitter: @LeedsLit | #LLF22

Source: Leeds Lit Fest