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Leeds Lit Fest 2026

Join Carnyx Press for a captivating evening of folklore-inspired short fiction. Six writers from across the North of England read stories from the new Carnyx Press anthology 'Oaths and Offerings'.

These strange, dark, and playful tales explore folk culture from the North and beyond, and reimagine folk tales for our time.

The readings will be followed by discussions about folklore and writing.

With "stories as diverse and strange as the hidden world we sense just beyond our own" (Glen James Brown), this is sure to be an enthralling evening for fans of folk horror, weird fiction, and literature.

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Leeds Lit Fest 2026

Perdita is a human child who is born in a laboratory in 2035. She grows into adulthood without parental nurture at a time when the distinction between humans and machines has become blurred and human survival is in doubt. She will become the last human on earth.

Through a sequence of poems, Perdita explores questions about subjects including body augmentation, gender identity, work, war and truth as she learns to live amongst her non-human peers. A thought provoking and involving story.

This sequence of poems-for-performance is written by Jane Kite and performed by Jane Kite and John Hepworth.

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Leeds Lit Fest 2026

After inheriting the miner's safety lamp that belonged to his great-grandfather, Jake Morris-Campbell sets out on a pilgrimage across his homeland. Travelling from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to Durham Cathedral, he asks what new ways might be made through the old north.

Jake's journey along the 'Camino of the North' sees him explore the shifting nature of individual and regional identity across 1300 years of social change. Rejecting the damaging trope of 'left behind' communities, Jake uncovers neglected seams of culture and history, while offering a heartfelt celebration of the place he calls hyem.

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Leeds Lit Fest 2026

Join the team from book publisher HarperCollins' imprint HarperNorth team, to learn how to get into the industry, pick up publishing tips, careers advice and how to prepare your ideas ready for submission to a publisher.

Do you want to get into publishing, either as an author or working in the industry itself?Join staff from HarperCollins’ Manchester-based imprint HarperNorth at Hyde Park Book Club for a deep-dive into how book publishing works.

Fiction commissioning editor Megan Jones and head of marketing and publicity Alice Murphy-Pyle will explain the publishing process—from manuscript submission and editorial development to production, distribution, and marketing—and share practical tips for making a book successful.

The evening is suitable for aspiring authors, particularly those writing for adults, and anyone interested in a publishing career, offering insight into roles and pathways in the industry. Attendees can ask questions, receive guidance on improving manuscripts and submission strategies, and talk to professionals and fellow literary enthusiasts.

Come prepared with questions about how to make your book the best it can be, and ask all your careers questions!

FREE JUST TURN UP

Leeds Lit Fest 2026

Join us for Leeds Arts University’s fifth annual event as part of Leeds Literature Festival, as we launch our first anthology of writing: Labyrinths

The anthology features work by students from the BA (Hons) and MA courses, through prose and poetry.

This event is an opportunity to hear the next generation of prose and poetry writers, across our vibrant writing community. Wonder, mystery, misdirection, and adventure; get lost in Labyrinth. It’s one not to miss. 

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Leeds Lit Fest 2026

Brought to you by Zineophilia, Exploring Gender and the Body is an event open to all levels of experience in writing poetry - including none at all! 

We will collectively explore poems related in some shape or form to gender and bodies, and invite participants to construct pieces of their own through structured activities. These will enable thought on the relationships between bodies and the world, as well as bodies and one's inner self.

There will be an option to share these poems within a zine to showcase our varied responses to the prompts.