The third edition of The Farsley Literature Festival is due to begin this week, kicking off a bumper six-week programme of thoughtfully-curated events from Tuesday, 8 October.
Brought together by the teams behind Truman Books, The Old Woollen and their various friends around Farsley, the series promises to bring a host of acclaimed writing talent to the village, along with a wide range of the best up-and-coming authors, local wordsmiths and more.
Beginning in 2022 and now in its third year, the festival will see an appearance from bestselling author Ian Rankin as he celebrates the release of ‘Midnight and Blue’; the latest in his widely-loved John Rebus thrillers series.
Amongst the many names joining Ian across the series are celebrated historical novelist and non-fiction writer Kate Mosse discussing her new book ‘The Map of Bones’, renowned journalist and author Miranda Sawyer sharing stories from ‘Uncommon People – Britpop and Beyond’, and an evening with hilarious stand-up comedian and writer Shaparak Khorsandi presenting her new memoir ‘Scatterbrain’.
Elsewhere, the series will host award-winning Scottish writer and paranormal psychologist Evelyn Hollow, a unique ‘In Conversation’ evening between Irish contemporary fiction powerhouse Cecelia Ahern and popular tv and radio broadcaster Gaby Roslin, best-selling author Elly Griffiths discussing her first collection of short stories, and much more.
Beyond the established names, the Farsley Lit Fest organisers remain equally steadfast in their commitment towards showcasing emerging literary talent throughout the 2024 edition.
The ‘Debut Class of 2024’ event will host a special talk with nine of the most exciting debut authors of this year as they share with the audience their paths to publication, including conversations with Jennie Godfrey, Flora Carr, Sarah Marsh and more.
Elsewhere, they host an evening with immigration lawyer Tawseef Khan as he celebrates the release of his debut novel, while fans of crime writing will love ‘Destination Thriller’; a conversation between crime writers Tom Hindle, Rachel North and Jonathan Hall.
Meanwhile, early November will see a visit from writer and art critic Hettie Judah as she discusses her fascinating book ‘Acts of Creation’, which explores motherhood through the work of artists from prehistory to the present day, addressing the abiding mother-shaped hole in art history.
Truly offering something for everyone, the team are also passionate about sharing and encouraging the joys of reading from an early age, ensuring that the youngest ones aren’t left out of proceedings with a series of family events taking place between Farsley Library and Truman Books including ‘Storytime’, ‘How To Find A Bookworm (The Real Kind)’ and ‘Story and Rhyme Time’.
Amanda Truman, owner of Truman Books, said: “We’re over the moon to be going into these next few weeks for what will be our third year of Farsley Lit Fest and one we hope will be the best one yet!
“We’re incredibly proud of the diverse programme we’ve curated this year; with events varying from globally-recognised authors down to those just beginning their literary career journeys, and everything else in between.
“That we can do all of this on our doorstep in the wonderful community of Farsley makes it all the more worthwhile and special to us.”
- Full listings and tickets can be found here.
- Check out WLD’s what’s on section for more local events.
Sponsored content
