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Ilkley Literature Festival
The Ilkley Literature Festival is a literature festival held annually in Ilkley, Yorkshire. Inaugurated in 1973 by the poet W. H. Auden and until 1988 held every two years, the festival is the oldest and largest of its type in the north of England. Introduction The Ilkley Literature Festival is an annual event in Ilkley. Attracting many important international literary figures, its two-week programme, starting at the end of September, now features more than 250 events, which take place in a variety of venues in Ilkley and surrounding towns and villages. The festival includes events for children and young people and a festival fringe. History In 1971 Ilkley residents Michael Dawson (then-Director of the Yorkshire Arts Association) and Peter Harland (editor of the ''Telegraph & Argus'' and Chair of the Yorkshire Arts Literature Panel) began discussing the possibility of a festival for the town. Dawson had visited Cheltenham Literature Festival and Harland suggested trying someth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Literature Festival
A literary festival, also known as a book festival or writers' festival, is a regular gathering of writers and readers, typically on an annual basis in a particular city. A literary festival usually features a variety of presentations and readings by authors, as well as other events, delivered over a period of several days, with the primary objectives of promoting the authors' books and fostering a love of literature and writing. Writers' conferences are sometimes designed to provide an intellectual and academic focus for groups of writers without the involvement of the general public. There are many literary festivals held around the world. A non-exhaustive list is set out below, including dates when a festival is usually held (where available). List of literary festivals Notable literary festivals include: Africa * Port Harcourt Book Festival, October 20–25 Asia Asia-Pacific *Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF), held annually at Ubud, Bali in Indonesia (www.ubudw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paddy Ashdown
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, (27 February 194122 December 2018), better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internationally, he is recognised for his role as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006, following his vigorous lobbying for military action against Yugoslavia in the 1990s. After serving as a Royal Marine and Special Boat Service officer and as an intelligence officer in the UK security services, Ashdown was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Yeovil in 1983 before retiring in 2001. Ashdown received national recognition for his services by appointment as Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 2006 New Year Honours and Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2015 New Year Honours. In 2017, Ashdown was appointed an Officer of the Legion of Honour by the French g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Sergeant (journalist)
John James Sergeant (born 14 April 1944) is an English television and radio journalist and broadcaster. He was the BBC's Chief Political Correspondent from 1992 to 2000 and the Political Editor of ITN from 2000 until 2002. Early life The son of a missionary and linguist, Sergeant is of Russian origin on his mother's side. Sergeant's early life meant that he followed his father's work, and was brought up in locations including Jerusalem and Oxford. Sergeant was educated at Great Tew Primary School, briefly at the independent Bloxham School near Banbury, in Oxfordshire, and then at the independent Millfield School in Street, Somerset. Sergeant graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Whilst at university Sergeant performed in student comedy revues. After graduation he starred with Alan Bennett in a series of sketch shows on the BBC entitled ''On the Margin'' and wrote comedy scripts. He then trained as a journalist at Darlin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Will Self
William Woodard Self (born 26 September 1961) is an English author, journalist, political commentator and broadcaster. He has written 11 novels, five collections of shorter fiction, three novellas and nine collections of non-fiction writing. Self is currently Professor of Modern Thought at Brunel University London, where he teaches psychogeography. His 2002 novel ''Dorian, an Imitation'' was longlisted for the Booker Prize, and his 2012 novel ''Umbrella'' was shortlisted. His fiction is known for being satirical, grotesque and fantastical, and is predominantly set within his home city of London. His writing often explores mental illness, drug abuse and psychiatry. Self is a regular contributor to publications including ''The Guardian'', '' Harper's Magazine'', ''The New York Times'' and the '' London Review of Books''. He currently writes a column for the ''New Statesman'', and he has been a columnist for the ''Observer'', ''The Times'', and the ''Evening Standard''. His col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English broadcaster, journalist, author, and television presenter. Born in Leeds, Paxman was educated at Malvern College and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he edited the undergraduate newspaper '' Varsity''. At Cambridge, he was a member of a Labour Party club and described himself as a socialist, although in later life described himself as a one-nation conservative. He joined the BBC in 1972, initially at BBC Radio Brighton, although he relocated to London in 1977. In coming years, he worked on ''Tonight'' and '' Panorama'' before becoming a newsreader for the ''BBC Six O'Clock News'' and later a presenter on '' Breakfast Time''. In 1989, he became a presenter for the BBC Two programme ''Newsnight'', during which he interviewed a wide range of political figures. Paxman became known for his forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians. These appearances were sometimes criticised ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jenni Murray
Dame Jennifer Susan Murray, (''née'' Bailey; born 12 May 1950) is an English journalist and broadcaster, best known for presenting BBC Radio 4's ''Woman's Hour'' from 1987 to 2020. Early life Murray was born in Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire to Alvin Bailey and Winifred Jones, and attended Barnsley Girls' High School, a grammar school, leaving with A levels in French, English and History. She has a degree in French and Drama from the University of Hull. Career Murray joined BBC Radio Bristol in 1973 before becoming a reporter and presenter for regional TV news programme ''South Today''. She was a newsreader and later one of the presenters of the BBC's ''Newsnight'' television show for two years from 1983, before moving to BBC Radio 4 to present ''Today''. She took over from Sue MacGregor as presenter of ''Woman's Hour'' in 1987. She has presented BBC Radio 4's ''The Message'' and written for magazines and newspapers including ''The Guardian'', ''Daily Express'' and the ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio recordings of poets reading their own work. In 2012, he became President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, taking over from Bill Bryson. Early life Motion was born on 26 October 1952 in London, to (Andrew) Richard Michael Motion (1921-2006),Essex Clay, Andrew Motion, Faber and Faber, 2018, dedication page a brewer at Ind Coope, and (Catherine) Gillian (née Bakewell; 1928–1978). Richard Motion was from a brewing dynasty; his grandfather founded Taylor Walker, but this had been absorbed by Ind Coope by Richard Motion's time. The Motion family were wealthy armigers who lived at Upton House, Banbury, Oxfordshire, and were prominent in the local area; Richard Motion's grandfather Andrew Richard Motion was a Justice of the Peace for Es ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Clive James — writer, TV broadcaster and critic — dies aged 80 ''ABC News'', 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019. He began his career specialising in literary criticism before becoming television critic for ''The Observer'' in 1972, where he made his name for his wry, deadpan humour. During this period, he earned an independent reputation as a poet and satire, satirist. He achieved mainstream success in the UK first as a writer for television, and eventually as the lead in his own programmes, including ''...on Television ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ted Hughes
Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1984 and held the office until his death. In 2008 ''The Times'' ranked Hughes fourth on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath from 1956 until her death by suicide in 1963 at the age of 30. His last poetic work, ''Birthday Letters'' (1998), explored their relationship. Biography Early life Hughes was born at 1 Aspinall Street, in Mytholmroyd in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to William Henry (1894–1981) and Edith ( Farrar) Hughes (1898–1969), and raised among the local farms of the Calder Valley and on the Pennine moorland. Hughes's sister Olwyn Marguerite Hughes (1928–2016) was two years older and his brother Gerald (1920†... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nick Hornby
Nicholas Peter John Hornby (born 17 April 1957) is an English writer and lyricist. He is best known for his memoir ''Fever Pitch'' and novels '' High Fidelity'' and '' About a Boy'', all of which were adapted into feature films. Hornby's work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists. His books have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide as of 2018. In a 2004 poll for the BBC, Hornby was named the 29th most influential person in British culture. He has received two Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay nominations for ''An Education'' (2009), and ''Brooklyn'' (2015). Early life and education Hornby was born in Redhill, Surrey, the son of Sir Derek Hornby, the chairman of London and Continental Railways, and Margaret Audrey Withers. He was brought up in Maidenhead, and educated at Maidenhead Grammar School and Jesus College, Cambridge, where he read English. His parents divorced when he was eleven. Prior to his car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Dyke
Gregory Dyke (born 20 May 1947) is a British media executive, football administrator, journalist, and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has had a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing ' tabloid' television to British broadcasting, and reviving the ratings of TV-am. In the 1990s, he held chief executive positions at LWT Group, Pearson Television, and Channel 5. He was the director-general of the BBC from January 2000 to January 2004; he resigned following heavy criticism of the BBC's news reporting process in the Hutton Inquiry. Dyke was a director of Manchester United and chairman of Brentford football clubs, and from 2013 to 2016 was chairman of the Football Association. He was chancellor of the University of York from 2004 to 2015 and chairman of the British Film Institute between 2008 and 2016. He is currently the chairman of children's television company HiT Entertainment, and is a panellist on Sky News's '' The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carol Ann Duffy
Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first female poet, the first Scottish-born poet and the first openly gay poet to hold the Poet Laureate position. Her collections include ''Standing Female Nude'' (1985), winner of a Scottish Arts Council Award; ''Selling Manhattan'' (1987), which won a Somerset Maugham Award; ''Mean Time'' (1993), which won the Whitbread Poetry Award; and ''Rapture'' (2005), which won the T. S. Eliot Prize. Her poems address issues such as oppression, gender, and violence in accessible language. Early life Carol Ann Duffy was born to a Roman Catholic family in the Gorbals, considered a poor part of Glasgow. She was the daughter of Mary (née Black) and Frank Duffy, an electrical fitter. Her mother's parents were Irish, and her father had Irish grandparents. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
