Bradford Literature Festival Attracts Over 200,000 Visitors in 2026

Record Attendance and Diverse Programme Highlight Festival’s Growing Influence

The 2026 Bradford Literature Festival concluded this weekend, having drawn a record 201,674 visitors over ten days. The festival featured 762 events spanning literature, arts, music, theatre, film, and visual art, attracting audiences from across the UK and internationally.

Festival Overview

The festival’s extensive programme included the main festival events, an education programme, and family activities. It continued to focus on themes of community collaboration, family, hope, peace, and storytelling, with many events exploring cultural, historical, and political topics.

Notable Speakers and Events

• Misan Harriman delivered the annual Free Word Lecture, discussing his career as a photographer documenting global protest movements, including Black Lives Matter. His documentary Shoot the People was also screened.
• Fatima Bhutto spoke about her memoir The Hour of the Wolf, which reflects on resilience following her father’s early death.
• Lemn Sissay closed the festival with a special event based on his ‘Tell Me Something About Family’ project, exploring family stories and identity.
• Jeremy Corbyn discussed his book The Gaza Tribunal Britain’s Complicity in Genocide in a sold-out event focusing on accountability and international law.
• Hannah Spencer, Green Party MP, spoke about her experiences in politics and highlighted concerns regarding MPs holding multiple jobs.

Political and Historical Discussions

The festival featured a range of talks on geopolitics and history, including:

• Debates on democracy and technology with Ebrahim Rasool and Myriam François.
• Discussions on Jewish-Muslim relations by historians Marc David Baer and Peter Oborne.
• Exploration of the Middle East’s modern history by Meshael Al-Mannai, Hassan A. Abdein, and Saeed Khan.
• Reflection on the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence by Saeed Khan, Zahed Amanullah, Nabeela Rasheed, and Melissa Butcher.

Artistic and Cultural Exhibitions

Visual arts were represented through exhibitions such as the collaboration between Bradford Libraries and Qatar National Library, showcasing miniature paintings and Arabic typography by artists Zainab Al Shibani and Wadha Al-Athba.

The festival also hosted events produced by the international media platform Doha Debates, covering topics like artificial intelligence, civilisational collapse, and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Focus on Disability and Communication

Several events addressed living with disability, including workshops and talks on ADHD, autism, and chronic illness. Contributors included Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas, poet Polly Atkin, and actor Bradley Riches, who shared personal experiences and strategies related to communication and wellbeing.

Literature and Crime Writing

• Mark Vernon delivered a lecture on William Blake’s views on consciousness and vision.
• Crime writers Janice Hallett, Hazell Ward, and Tom Hindle marked the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s passing.
• Bradford author A.A. Dhand launched his new crime novel The Kingpin, discussing his writing process and inspirations.

Future Festival Dates

Following the success of the 2026 edition, the Bradford Literature Festival will take place from Friday 11th June to Sunday 20th June 2027. Further details will be announced in due course.

For updates on the 2027 programme, visit www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk.