Design by Studio Belly Timber www.studiobellytimber.co.uk • Printed by McLays www.mclays.co.uk www.studiobellytimber.co.uk Design by Studio Belly Timber Provident Financial Group: Principal sponsor of the Bradford Literature Festival. ProvidentIf you are Financial a genius, Group you’ll Sponsors ofmake the Bradford your own Literature rules, Festival but if not - and the odds are 2200 against it - go to your desk no matter what your mood, face the icy challenge of 15 the paper - write. 16 J. B. Priestley 20TH – 29TH MAY 2016 The Wonderful World of Words In association with 24063_Provident_Ads_AmendedSize.indd 2 15/03/2016 10:57 2017 Festival Dates D I 12th - 21st May Bradford Literature Festival 2016 rec T or Directors’ Welcome S ’ we L We are delighted to welcome you to the second of the Brontës, we also invite you to join our co Bradford Literature Festival hosted this year day-long heritage tour to walk in the footsteps in association with our title partner, Provident of Charlotte Brontë and remember 200 years of M Financial Group. her birth. We’re marking 400 years since the e death of Shakespeare with a range of intriguing The festival will bring together 350 special guests events about his work – from sex and death including authors, poets, artists and filmmakers in his famous plays, to manga Shakespeare. from around the world in 200 events in the heart Delving deeper into our literary history, we’ll be of Bradford. It’s a ten day celebration of the celebrating 500 years of Sir Thomas Moore’s wonderful world of words, not just in book form Utopia, by exploring how the concept has not Facebook.com/bradfordlitfest but also on the stage and screen, in performance only taken on a life of its own but the way it has poetry, on the pages of comics and in cultural become subverted into dystopia. debates. Over the course of the ten days, the city’s spaces - historic and contemporary - will This treat of a festival would not have been come together to host a myriad of irresistible possible without the generous support of our literary and cultural encounters. funders and sponsors. We would like to extend a special thank you to Provident Financial Group Our programme has something for everyone, who have become the festival title partner and whether you’re interested in exploring Jane Eyre as a provided vital advice, guidance and financial feminist manifesto, deepening your understanding of backing. We would like to thank Arts Council the crisis in Syria, learning the art of Russian paper England and Bradford Council for funding the cutting, enjoying an evening of stand-up comedy, or festival; our key partner, the University of Bradford introducing your children to the magic of Peter Pan. for their invaluable marketing and financial @bradfordlitfest Our invited guests are just as diverse and include support. We are also grateful to the festival hotel the judges for this year’s Man Booker International partner, the Midland, and the festival book partner, Prize, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, socialist Waterstones, who have provided the infrastructure Harry Leslie Smith, historian Tom Holland, Japanese essential in creating the festival. novelist Minae Mizumura, Egyptian feminist Mona Eltahawy, Chinese master calligrapher Haji Noor Bradford has long been a hub for literature, Deen and freshly minted GBBO national treasure diversity and culture. The richness of our Nadiya Hussain. communities, drawn from so many different countries, is the inspiration behind this festival. Of course, Bradford itself is also the star of our It is a joy, and a privilege, to curate events that festival. We’ll be hosting inspiring children’s bring guests from around the world to Bradford events and unmissable activities in City Park and showcase the heritage and landscape of – and they’re all free. We have heritage tours Bradford to the world. showcasing some of our city’s architectural, cultural and historic gems and a mini festival of We all have particular words that resonate with film featuring everything from music to manga us. A single word – book, music, film, poetry, and from poets to politics. love, death – can evoke a certain excitement or pathos. Come and experience the wonderful 2016 is a year of literary anniversaries. Starting world of words. at home, this year sees the start of the Brontë bicentenary celebrations. Not only do we have Syima Aslam & Irna Qureshi an entire weekend devoted to the life and works Festival Directors waterstones at wool exchange, Bradford, © Tim Smith 1 S P Bradford Literature Festival 2016 on S welcome from or’ S Provident Financial Group w e L co Provident Financial has been headquartered in Bradford ever since it was established in1880. M The city is intrinsic to the company; together, e we’ve navigated the last 136 years and moved into this brave new century. I am proud to say that when we outgrew our old HQ building, and there was some talk of whether PFG had become too big for Bradford, Facebook.com/bradfordlitfest we decided to renew our pledge and stay. In part this was a decision of the heart - Bradford has remained our home since the business placed to lead the way in dealing with these began, through the years we’ve stood together issues, and we are proud to support the festival and we take pride in our heritage. However, as it engages with them head on. remaining in Bradford also makes business sense. The vast majority of our expanding workforce Landmark cultural events like the Bradford Literature lives in Bradford and, for a company that needs Festival provide a vital forum for discussion and a pool of talented young people, this city is the debate, and further our understanding of each perfect place. This, coupled with air and rail links other and our common humanity. Such events providing easy access to London’s financial hub, are vital in bringing us all closer together, and of makes ours a fantastic location. course they also provide an essential opportunity @bradfordlitfest Prejudices, it is well for joy, celebration and learning. We belong to an international city, home to known, are most difficult communities from around the world, and it is this I am fortunate that my office overlooks Centenary diversity that gives Bradford a unique vibrancy Square and I’m constantly amazed at the range to eradicate from the and verve that sets it apart. We are proud of this and energy of the events held there, and how city with its array of languages and cultures, so much Bradfordians use and enjoy the space. This heart whose soil has when the Bradford Literature Festival came along, diversity and vitality will be further enhanced by the with the same passion, verve and enthusiasm for range of unmissable events in this year’s festival, never been loosened or the city and its people, we wanted to celebrate specifically aimed at children, and families, that fertilized by education. this true meeting of minds with a partnership. are taking place in Centenary Square. Our business is based on understanding the It is exactly this energy, epitomised by the needs of our clients and serving our community. Bradford Literature Festival, that will help us Charlotte Bronte This is, in essence, similar to the essential role move confidently forward as a business, as fulfilled by writers and artists whose work furthers a community, and as a city. It gives me great our understanding of ourselves, delineating our pleasure to welcome you to Bradford, our points of commonality, our crucial and essential home city, the literature hub of the north, for differences and our shared future. what promises to be an intriguing, illuminating, Provident Financial Group: Principal sponsor invigorating and hugely entertaining festival. of the Bradford Literature Festival. The current climate - political, social and environmental - presents us with global challenges Peter crook that have a national and local impact. Bradford chief executive with its diversity, and history of migration, is well Provident Financial plc 3 24063_Provident_Ads_AmendedSize.indd 1 15/03/2016 10:57 F Bradford Literature Festival 2016 e STI v Festival Partners and Sponsors AL pa r Title Partner Cultural Partners T ner • Please Note: All sessions start at 8.30pm • Readings from visiting poets – 2nd MondayS st rd • Read-arounds –1 & 3 Monday & • Bradford Poetry workshop – 4th Monday. BEEHIVE • For critical and constructive comment on your poetry; please bring 6 copies and a pair of ears! For more information about the workshop contact Bruce Barnes; [email protected] Telephone:SP 01274 223665 For more information about readings & read arounds contact POETS John Sugden; [email protected] See also the Beehive website www.beehivepoets.org.ukon Bradford West Area Committee Community Chest for details of the latest readings and to go on the e-mailing list. • Please Note: All sessions start at 8.30pm nd Key Partners • Readings from visiting poets – 2 MondayS • Read-arounds –1st & 3rd Monday • Bradford Poetry workshop – 4th Monday.or BEEHIVE • For critical and constructive comment on your poetry; please bring 6 copies and a pair of ears! For more information about the workshop contact Bruce Barnes; [email protected] Telephone: 01274 223665 S For more information about readings & read arounds contact POETS John Sugden; [email protected] See also the Beehive website www.beehivepoets.org.uk Bradford West Area Committee Community Chest for details of the latest readings and to go on the e-mailing list. Facebook.com/bradfordlitfest • Please Note: All sessions start at 8.30pm • Readings from visiting poets – 2nd Monday • Read-arounds –1st & 3rd Monday • Bradford Poetry workshop – 4th Monday.