A History of Bradford City AFC in Objects
Tuesday 7 July
Local author John Dewhirst, writer of A History of Bradford City in Objects, entertained a packed afternoon crowed in the Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) Hub with a deep dive into many of the objects featured in his book.
Among these included mugs, trading cards created by a local hairdresser in the early 1900s, and old records of attendance both at supporter meetings and games themselves.
Dewhirst said, “the supporters club used to be just that: a supporter’s club. It never received any funding from the football club, and so people like the hairdresser made trading cards to sell to raise money to keep the supporters club going.” Dewhirst added that Bradford struggled for a long time due to lack of funds; it wasn’t just the supporter’s club that had no money, but the football club itself had very little.
“We used to be a team that relied on cup runs,” Dewhirst said. “One good run could fund the club for an entire season, so even though we foundered in the lower leagues, we were always seen as a cup team for this reason.” Audiences were delighted with the talk, with many staying behind to talk to Dewhirst and share their personal memories of Bradford City.
The event was one of many of BLF’s weekday Heritage theme events. The Heritage theme carries some of the festival’s most popular events, with 2026 seeing other events such as The Lost Tramways and Trolleybuses of Bradford, Busbys: A Shop Full of Memories and ‘Ey Up Bradford: A Journey Through Bradford’s ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.
The theme will return in 2027; sign up for updates to be the first to hear: https://www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/pre-order-programme/
Lunch Bite: 100 Years of Fidel Castro
Wednesday 8 July
Professor Saeed Khan, member of the Department of History at the University of Detroit who focuses on US history and globalisation, took to the stage on Wednesday lunchtime. He gave a talk marking 100 years since Fidel Castro was born, discussing both his legacy and his lasting impact on Cuba.
Khan began the talk with a question: “Who here has been to Cuba?” Almost everyone put their hands up, which was surprising and set the tone for a lively talk.
As well as discussing the serious side of Castro and his rebellion and takeover of Cuba, Khan added in some of his trademark humour. “I’ve seen Godfather Part 2 58 or 59 times,” he said, to laughs from the audience. “In the background of one of the scenes you can see mobsters getting ready to go to Cuba. That really happened!”
Khan gave a rundown of Castro’s life, as well as his impact and lasting legacy. The talk was followed by a Q&A which could have run for much longer than its allotted time, such was the participation from the audience.