Readers flocked to literature festival

Picture by Allan McKenzie/YWNG - 090515 - Press - Cleckheaton Literary Festival, Cleckheaton Library, Cleckheaton, England - Mandy Huggins, Pauline Scatterty, Martin Webster, Karen Naylor & Laura Hobson-Tyas with Bookstart Bear at the Cleckheaton Literary festival in Cleckheaton Library.

And the Reporter Series is featuring review highlights by the event’s official blogger Neil Walker.

Day One:

“At last the most important event of the year kicked off!! No not the elections but Cleckheaton Literature Festival which blasted into existence with a packed agenda which started simultaneously with a Bronte Nordic Walk and the Steve Moore Screenwriting Workshop.

“Both proved popular events which were followed by debut author Jason Hewitt and his talk, which was good timing for VE Day as his novel is set in the Second World War.

“As the voters also came in our day powered on with an excellent Martyn Bedford Creative Writing Workshop for YA writers.”

Day Two:

“Wow, another great day at the festival which gathered even more momentum like a snowball rolling down a mountain slowly getting bigger and bigger!

“Luke Wright, performance poet, gave the performance of his life which was very entertaining and had some hilarious poems and ballads.

“Lastly we had the Crime Panel hosted by crime author Helen Cadbury who did a sterling job both asking the questions to Leigh Russell and Alison Taft and answering also.”

Day Three:

“I described how the festival was like a snowball running down a hill getting bigger and bigger. Saturday was just like an avalanche of people! It was great, there were loads of adults and children all enjoying the family events at Cleckheaton Library.

“The Mark Wright Who-ology event was amazing for Doctor Who geeks young and old, including myself.

“The night bowed out with the Adventures of Andy Kershaw who shared most his life with a packed audience in Whitcliffe Mount School.”

Day Four:

“The sea faring adventures of Horatio Clare rounded off the festival as he discussed his book Down to the Sea in Ships.

“Nerves have been fraught in the last week or two but in hindsight they needn’t have been as the whole festival ran smoothly, with one event flowing naturally to the other. “Maybe it was beginners luck, I’m hoping it isn’t and hopeful in 2016 we will find out.”

Visit www.clecklitfest.wordpress.com to read the full weekend review.