Welcome to Ilkley Literature Festival! We are the longest-running literature festival in the north and we celebrate all things reading and writing

2023 will mark the Festival’s Golden Anniversary! 2023 Celebrations Ilkley Literature Festival, the second oldest literature festival in the UK, will be celebrating its Golden Anniversary this year! The Festival today Today the Festival is held over 17 days at the start of October in this miniature Victorian spa town at the foot of Ilkley Moor. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, Ilkley is only fifteen minutes from the Leeds-Bradford airport and a stone’s throw from Haworth, Harrogate, Leeds and Bradford. The Festival is supported by Arts Council England and Bradford Metropolitan Council and is proud to have University of Leeds Cultural Institute as our Higher Education Partner.