#LLF21: Leeds Lit Fest Gets Digital
Leeds Lit Fest is back, and coming to living rooms near you! In fact, you can enjoy the festival’s third year of literary delights from your very own sofa - because LLF has gone entirely digital for 2021.
In 2020, LLF was one of the very last big events to take place in the city before the national lockdown hit. Championing local talent alongside national and international names, the festival was a big success and went on to win Best Literary Festival in the 2020 Saboteur Awards.
This year, the festival is looking forward to a vibrant programme of literary talks and workshops (not to mention it’s very first literary pub quiz) - all hosted online. The creatives among us will love Abdullah Adekola’s poetry workshop for the opportunity to explore their dreams and use them as inspiration to navigate the turbulence of this past year.
New and local writing will be front and centre once again, with no less than 4 Leeds-born anthology book launches, including This New North, a short story anthology bursting with Northern talent.
As ever, the festival will be great warm-up for International Women’s Day, taking place from 2-7 March and showcasing the talent of a some extraordinary women writers and creatives.
The ever-impressive Monique Roffey is once such woman, headlining the weekend to discuss her latest novel, The Mermaid of Black Conch. Winner of the 2020 Costa Book Award, Roffey’s enchanting and acerbic novel tells of the love story between a Caribbean fisherman and an ancient Taino woman cursed to be a mermaid.
2020 Costs Book Award winning author Monique Roffey. Photo by Marcus Bastel.
Want to hear local writers read and discuss their work? You should definitely book Clare Fisher’s Lit Salon. Clare Fisher is a Leeds-based author and creative writing teacher who runs regular workshops at The Bowery, in Headingley. Her recently published short story collection, How the Light Gets In began as part of a live art installation by Leeds Light Night 2014.
Crime fiction enthusiasts will want the chance to meet Bradford’s own Saima Mir, whose debut thriller The Khan features a resourceful female protagonist. Or come together with the close friends and relatives of Andrea Levy, to celebrate the beloved author’s life and works through personal stories and sound recording from the British Library.
If you need ideas for keeping the kids entertained at home, check out the festival’s family-friendly events, such as Liz Million’s family draw-along. To round it all off, LFF21 will close with a show, so you can enjoy a performance of Strictly Sherlock , which will be live-streamed from the Leeds Library straight into your homes!
It sure feels like we’re living through longest winter on record, but here’s a chance to reinvent your living room for a weekend-long literary soirée. It’s the festival’s most accessible year yet, with an entirely online offering of talks, performances and workshops (including some captioned events). Though donations are very much encouraged, all but 2 events will be available for free.
Check out the Leeds Lit Fest website to find out what other treats are on offer - and get your tickets booked!
