Top authors for York Literature Festival (From York Press)

Top authors for York Literature Festival

8:53am Saturday 5th January 2013 in News By Stephen Lewis

A STRING of big-name writers – including poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, journalist and novelist Will Self and Round Ireland With A Fridge author Tony Hawks – will headline at the sixth York Literature Festival in March.

Girl With A Pearl Earring author Tracey Chevalier will also be appearing, along with crime novelist Peter Robinson and the Yorkshire poet, author and broadcaster Simon Armitage.

Events will take place across the city from March 19 to 24, at venues such as York St John University, the Theatre Royal, City Screen, the National Centre for Early Music and the Museum Gardens.

As usual, this year’s festival – which is supported for the first time by an Arts Council grant of more than £6,000 – features local writers and performers as well as well-known names.

York-based performance poet Anneliese Emmans Dean and storyteller Catherine Heinemeyer will combine for a poetry and storytelling event celebrating birds and winged insects; local storyteller Helen M Sant will link up with poet Andy Humphrey and musician Jack Firminger for a celebration of fairy tales; and there will be an exhibition of work by local Bootham-based Mark Hearld, whose A First Book of Nature was recently published.

Visitors to the city will be able to take a guided walk around Literary York, and there will be a celebration, in music and poetry, of the work of Bob Dylan and Charlie Chaplin; a night dedicated to women artists; and events for families and children.

“This is our best line-up to date,” said the festival’s director, local writer, poet and musician Miles Salter. “York is the perfect city for a festival like this and it’s great to see the festival develop incrementally each year.”

The festival was launched in 2007, with support from the city council’s libraries department.

That support came to an end in 2009. The festival was not staged in 2011, but made a triumphant return last year, when ticket sales passed £5,000 for the first time.

As well as the Arts Council, this year’s event is also supported by York St John University, which is hosting several events.

“We are very grateful for their support. It has helped us create a better event for York,” Mr Salter said.

Ticket prices range from free to £14, with many priced at £5 or under.

A full festival programme can be downloaded from yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk