Ilkley Literature Festival has been bringing together the very best writers of contemporary fiction, non-fiction and poetry with book-loving audiences for over 50 years. Every autumn, we are joined by 14,000 readers and 100+ writers in creating conversations, tackling tricky topics and encouraging exploration.

Discover new writers, encounter new ideas and enjoy a very warm Yorkshire welcome!

This year’s programme is available to browse now! Explore our 2025 programme here or download a PDF of the brochure here.

Tickets go on priority sale to Friends of the Festival from Weds 20 August at 10am. (Find out how you can become a Friend here)

Tickets go on sale to the public from Tues 26 August at 10am.

The 2025 Ilkley Literature Festival will run from Friday 3 October – Sunday 19 October.