Exceptional writers, thinkers and entertainers announced for Ilkley Literature Festival 2026

Andrew Davies will open the festival on Friday 2 October

The north’s longest-running literary festival, Ilkley Literature Festival, has announced its 2026 line-up, with household names from literature, politics, journalism, comedy, sport and broadcasting heading to Ilkley from Friday 2 to Sunday 18 October.

The line-up includes Simon Armitage, Samira Ahmed, Kate Atkinson, Reeta Chakrabarti, Andrew Davies, Mark Foster, Dame Margaret Hodge, Zahra Joya, Si King, Judy Murray, Rachael Stirling and Jacqueline Wilson.

Andrew Davies, the acclaimed screenwriter behind House of Cards, Pride & Prejudice, Bleak House and Bridget Jones, opens the festival with his memoir, An Unsuitable Boy.

The opening weekend also features Labour Peer Dame Margaret Hodge, discussing five decades in politics and her memoir Battleaxe, and Afghan journalist Zahra Joya, who tells the story of her fight for women’s rights in The Vanishing Girl of Kabul.

Stirling, Rachel [Photo: Mike Blackett]

Actress Rachael Stirling will discuss her mother, screen and stage icon Diana Rigg, while five-time Olympian Mark Foster talks about his memoir My Double Life, exploring his sporting career and personal freedom.

Poetry features prominently, with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage reading from his new translation of Gilgamesh. Brian Bilston, Emily Zobel Marshall, Kim Moore, Antony Dunn, Daljit Nagra and Pam Ayres will also appear, covering everything from the history of verse to poetry, performance and personal stories.

Armitage, Simon [Photo: Paul Stuart Photography Ltd]

Other highlights include Kate Atkinson, returning to Yorkshire with Our Noble Selves; Samira Ahmed, discussing The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night; Judy Murray, talking about her crime novel Game, Set & Murder; Si King, discussing his first solo cookbook, Proper Home Cooking; and Gyles Brandreth, joined by physiotherapist Finola Burrell, exploring the secrets of a long and healthy life.

Younger readers can meet Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who will introduce her new book Esme Pepper and reflect on her career writing more than 120 children’s books.

 Gyles Brandreth with be joined by physiotherapist Finola Burrell, exploring the secrets of a long and healthy life.

Themes across the programme include investigative journalism, writers on writing, technology and human behaviour, and nature and wildlife. To mark the National Year of Reading, the festival will also host a series of book club-style events.

Erica Morris, Chief Executive of Word Up North, the producer of Ilkley Literature Festival, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming some of today’s most exceptional writers, thinkers and entertainers to Yorkshire this autumn. The festival has been encouraging curiosity, open dialogues and a shared love of words for over half a century. This year, as part of the National Year of Reading, we’re putting readers at the heart of the programme with a series of book club-style events - Page Turners Classic Fiction Club - celebrating some of the most compelling novels ever written from Wuthering Heights to The Wasp Factory. From dedicated fans to first-time readers, you can be sure of a warm Yorkshire welcome at Ilkley Literature Festival.”

Tickets for Friends of the Festival available from 19 August; the general box office opens 25 August.

To view the full programme and book tickets https://www.ilkleylitfest.org.uk