Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is an annual arts event and year-round cultural outreach programme that hosts leading authors, poets, speakers, musicians and artists from Bradford, the UK and around the world. Founded in 2014, BLF is now a key event in the UK cultural calendar and the most diverse literature festival in the country.
BLF started as an intervention to boost Bradford’s economic growth through cultural regeneration and build cohesive communities through dialogue. What was originally a two-day festival has now grown exponentially into an annual summer programme whilst also delivering additional schools and community outreach projects year-round. BLF is now hailed as one of the most innovative, exciting and inspirational festivals in the country.
The festival takes place annually over ten days at the end of June and the start of July, with a programme of over 400 events stretching from the heart of the city and across the West Yorkshire district. BLF’s signature mix of topic-led events, which include author talks, world-class poetry line-ups, live music, film, theatre and more, attracts approximately 70,000 people to Bradford.
As well as widely celebrated, annually recurring strands, such as the Brontë’s, Poetry, World Affairs & Politics, Global Futures and Health & Wellbeing, each year the festival programme also encompasses important literary and historical anniversaries, and explores the issues and trends of the moment, weaving events throughout the programme thematically. Each year we host multiple panel discussions to create a space for dialogue, debate and reflection, covering topics ranging from faith, climate change and gender politics to the role of the media, sports and fairy tales. At Bradford Literature Festival we truly believe there is something for everyone.
The festival’s Schools and Education programme, which runs alongside the general programme, holds free events for students throughout the Bradford District. In 2019, events engaged and inspired more than 30,000 young people.
Main Address: Bradford Literature Festival, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP