Headingley LitFest: The shape of things to come

Monday, 18 November 2019

The shape of things to come

We're springing into action again, or should that be sliding inexorably towards it?

Our well-established poetry in primary schools programme - spread out over a few months - has started, with James Nash already at Ireland Wood and Malika Booker arriving at Brudenell Primary for a first session tomorrow.

There is a cluster of events in March for your diary too, some of them also our contribution to the Leeds Lit Fest, for example the Leeds launch of I wouldn't start from here, which showcases second generation Irish writers in Britain, on 5 March at Headingley Library (sorry 'Hub'), Lee Ingham's new book of memoirs Ours: Football at the New Headingley Club on 6 March and Ray Brown's sparkling new play Skybluepink at the same place on 7 March.

And more - like our annual gala afternoon of creative writing on 10 March with a theme of 'Sanctuary'. More details to follow!

Richard Wilcocks

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LITERARY HEADINGLEY

Headingley is just the place for it! Don't expect a big circus with marquees, though: we're not at that stage yet. We're all volunteers as well.

Our venues include the HEART Centre on Bennett Road, the New Headingley Club on St Michael's Road, friendly cafés, historic local cinemas, Headingley Library, people's houses and the historic Leeds Library in Commercial Street, city centre.

Headingley's Literary Links

Headingley has strong connections with many writers:

Arthur Ransome was born in Headingley, J R R Tolkien lived at 5 Holly Bank and also at 2 Darnley Road, West Park when he was reader in English Language at the University of Leeds 1920 - 25, Alan Bennett lived over a butcher's shop opposite the Three Horseshoes, now Royale Dry Cleaners.

Lucy Newlyn has published poetry about her early life in Headingley, George Orwell stayed at 21 Estcourt Avenue with his sister Marjorie and her husband Humphrey 'Humpy' Dakin (with whom he visited the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth), T S Eliot used to visit his mother-in-law in Weetwood Lane, William Fryer Harvey was brought up in Spring Bank, Trevor Griffiths lived just off Victoria Road on Winstanley Terrace, Jon Silkin's first office of STAND magazine was his flat at 144 Otley Road, Sir Geoffrey Hill lived in Shire Oak Road, Peter Redgrove lived in Headingley between 1962 and 1965 when he was Gregory Fellow of Poetry at the University of Leeds, and playwright Kay Mellor still lives near The Hollies in Far Headingley.

Wilson Barrett, the charismatic first manager of the Grand Theatre, Leeds (a prolific playwright as well), lived in Beech Grove Terrace, Woodhouse in the 1870s. His house was a meeting place for many writers, artists and visitors to Leeds - such as W. S. Gilbert, George Grossmith and Atkinson Grimshaw.

Headingley LitFest 2020 was the thirteenth. The fourteenth will take place from March 2021 and will be adapted to the rules of the Covid pandemic. We are now a proud part of the annual Leeds Lit Fest.