Bradford Literature Festival (BLF), one of the UK’s top three biggest literature festivals, returns this weekend from June 28th to July 7th to mark its tenth anniversary.

This milestone year promises to be a special one, with the festival hosting 500 events, from exhibitions to programmes designed to educate, entertain, and engage all the different audiences it hopes to attract.  

The festival opened its doors in 2014 after founder Syima Aslam (pictured above) wanted to create a space that brought the spotlight back to her childhood home of Bradford and celebrated and highlighted the importance of cultures and how different cultures affect the economy.  

BLF is also regarded as Europe’s most eclectic and diverse literature festival, and as such, it has attracted an audience of over 550,000 from 30 different countries throughout the last decade.  

This year’s festival will feature a richly diverse line-up, with acts, speakers, and guests from all corners of the globe, such as Islamic Scholar Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and comedians Shaparak Khorsandi, Sara Pascoe, and Ruby Wax.  

Additionally, the festival will host numerous authors and poets, such as Lemn Sissay and Joelle Taylor, with special guest former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, journalist Kate Bottley, singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, and many more.  

Aslam said: “From the outset, Bradford Literature Festival’s aim was to create tangible change, to raise aspirations and literacy levels by creating an international destination literature festival that would inspire the next generation.  

“We’ve been called innovative and disruptive and are now recognised as Europe’s most diverse and eclectic literature festival.” 

Some of the festival programs will include the Sacred Music event, which has been one of BLF’s most popular programs in the past, Lyrical Mehfil, and Northern Noir at the Bar.  

In celebration of their decade-long run, BLF will introduce a special exhibition commemorating their journey. Additionally, the Orchestral Qawwali Project, a world-renowned orchestra that has previously sold out the Royal Albert Hall, will return to the festival. 

BLF also holds the most extensive Education Programme in the UK, allowing free access to leading writers, poets, illustrators, and more. This year’s themes will range from Ancient Egypt to Climate Change, ensuring that children and young people across the festival will have a varied and engaging experience.