Ilkley’s next festival runs 8–24 October 2027. The completed programme used several venues, giving readers different journeys between their chosen events. Six 2026 highlights below offer a starting point for exploring those writers. For the next edition, choose sessions from the new programme and check the building on each ticket before finalising travel.
Confirmed for 2027
The 2027 programme hasn’t been announced yet.
2026 headline events
These events took place in 2026.
Kate Atkinson: Our Noble Selves
· All Saints’ Church
Atkinson discussed Our Noble Selves, following an out-of-work war reporter and a resourceful thirteen-year-old through post-war Britain in 1951.
2026 event detailsAt 2 festivals in 2026
Joanne Harris: Sleepers in the Snow
· Clarke Foley Centre
Harris discussed Sleepers in the Snow, a winter ghost story whose isolated moorland house held a secret about love, loss and memory.
2026 event detailsAt 2 festivals in 2026
Jasper Fforde: Dark Reading Matter
· Ilkley Playhouse, Wildman
Fforde explored bringing Thursday Next’s adventures to a close with Dark Reading Matter, the final instalment of his literary detective series.
Louise Doughty: On This Spot Fell One Tear of Love
· All Saints’ Church
Doughty shared the family letters behind her first memoir, discovering her parents’ youthful love story while clearing their home.
Brian Bilston: How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside
· King’s Hall
Bilston read from How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside and explored the pleasures of reading and writing poetry.
Simon Armitage: Gilgamesh
· King’s Hall
Armitage launched his verse translation of Gilgamesh, revisiting the ancient hero’s adventures and desperate search for immortality.
2026 event detailsAt 3 festivals in 2026
Explore the guide’s 2026 programme highlights.
Book your room first
Choosing the town and dates can come before choosing individual talks. If you reserve at that stage, compare the actual rate’s payment and cancellation conditions and keep its deadline with your festival plans. The search starts with the first festival night, two adults and one room; change it to fit your stay.
Where to stay for Ilkley Literature Festival · Ilkley Literature Festival visitor guide
Authors who appeared in 2026
Andrew Davies, Kate Atkinson, Gyles Brandreth, Jacqueline Wilson, Simon Armitage, Joanne Harris.
Plan the festival visit
Central Ilkley, Ben Rhydding and a Leeds or Bradford base give you different festival days. The reviewed programme used several locations, so read each new ticket’s building carefully. A city room adds a journey after the last talk; a central stay may let you rest between sessions. Check luggage storage and any access features with the property directly. For a train journey, leave a margin to collect your bag before departure. The guide and stay page below bring those choices together without treating every venue as the same journey.