A celebrity TV chef has been announced as a speaker at this year’s Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival.
Rosemary Shrager, whose career has spanned four decades, has featured on programmes such as ITV series Ladette to Lady and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
She has also authored several cookbooks.
Ms Shrager will feature as lunchtime speaker at this year’s festival.
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“We can’t wait to introduce Harrogate audiences to our exciting line-up for this year’s literature festival and we are certain that Rosemary will deliver an insightful and entertaining segment which is not to be missed.”
Rachel Tunnicliffe, senior partner at Raworths Solicitors, said:
“We are proud to be sponsoring the festival in 2023, our eleventh year of sponsorship for this event.
“It is a remarkable occasion with a fantastic line-up each year, a true celebration of great books and writing.”
Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival will return to the Crown Hotel in Harrogate, from Thursday, October 19 to Sunday, October 22.
For more information on the festival and to book tickets, visit the website here.
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Thousands tune in to first ever online Harrogate Literature Festival
Thousands tuned in to the first ever digital Harrogate Literature Festival this past weekend.
The festival was forced to be streamed online due to the coronavirus pandemic, but organisers say the event was still a success.
Viewers tuned in to the free programme of 17 events, with the digital delivery allowing book lovers from across the UK to engage with prominent writers, politicians and journalists.
Among those who gave talks were author Matt Haig, classicist Natalie Haynes and Labour MPs Jess Phillips and David Lammy.
Although the events moved online, Harrogate International Festivals, the arts charity behind the literature festival wanted to keep the community at the heart of the project.
Hundreds of stories were submitted to the 10 Word Story competition, and over hundred books were gifted in the Raworth’s Blind Date With a Book initiative.
As author talks began, literature came to life in Harrogate with a light installation in the form of a book. The story of Harrogate, 10 word stories and traditional tales were illuminated on its pages.
The story of Harrogate was illuminated on the book’s pages.
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“The light of human stories and the power of books certainly shone through, breaking down barriers of isolation and reaching new audiences, demonstrating the importance of festival in our cultural landscape.
“Ticket sales are normally a huge part of our income, but this year’s events were all free of charge. We thank those audience members who donated to our arts charity in lieu of tickets, helping us work towards bridging the financial gap, the first step to securing the future of Harrogate International Festivals.
“This was an extraordinary festival for an unpreceded year, and whilst we celebrate the success of the event – taking Harrogate to the world – in order for our arts charity to survive we need to be able to welcome the world to Harrogate. Whether that will be possible in 2021 we just don’t know.”
Traditional tales shone on Friday and Saturday night.
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New giant book will light up Harrogate this weekend
A new book unlike any you have seen before will light up the Library Gardens in Harrogate for this weekend only.
The light installation will shine bright as authors take to the digital stage for the Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival.
As the sun sets the pages will turn and share well-known tales as well as the story of Harrogate.
The free exhibition will also feature ten-word stories from best-selling authors and Harrogate residents – the same as those that have been popping up around town on posters.
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The organisers Harrogate Festivals International say there will be plenty of room for watching the book and they will also ensure social distancing measures are followed.
Harrogate’s literature festival is now in its 12th year but will, like many events, be online due to social distancing requirements.
The festival will run from today until Sunday. It will be streamed on HIF Player on the Harrogate International Festivals’ website.
It comes at a difficult time for the organisation, which has been forced to cut more than half of its jobs.
Harrogate International Festivals said it made the cuts after missing out on an estimated £850,000 due to coronavirus. The arts charity, which was set up in 1966, now has just four staff remaining.
Writing on the wall ahead of Harrogate literature festivalA unique lights installation kicked up into life last night to highlight the power of the arts ahead of the Harrogate Literature Festival.
The Station Parade office of Raworths, the title sponsor of the festival, was covered in a selection of quotes from popular books.
Those behind the display chose quotes to reflect the difficult time for the arts and their hopes for the future.
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise” by Victor Hugo, and “Books are a uniquely portable magic” by Stephen King were included.
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Harrogate’s literature festival is now in its 12th year but will, like many events, move online due to social distancing requirements.
The festival will run from October 23 to 25. It will be streamed on HIF Player on the Harrogate International Festival’s website.
Ten word stories appearing in Harrogate town centre
Meanwhile the literature festival organisers have also started to publish ten word stories on posters around the town centre.
The Stray Ferret enjoyed this ten word story by Ruby Fisher, one of the competition entries:
“Fat Rascals make the world go round. Breakfast of champions.”
Zoe Robinson, Raworths managing partner, said:
“We are looking for all kinds of story, funny, personal or evocative, it just has to involve Harrogate! I had great fun writing mine and hope everyone else has as much fun with theirs!
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 2020 National Libraries Week and can’t wait to read the entries.”
Some ten word stories posted near Raworths in Harrogate.
Arts charity Harrogate International Festivals usually creates 300 live event a year but saw its entire programme cancelled from March.
Sharon Canavar, the chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“Whilst the coronavirus pandemic may have cast a dark shadow over the world and forced the cancellation and re-invention of our entire 2020 calendar of events, this installation is a beaming example of the light that literature and the arts can bring in the darkness.”