Description
Our panel, including poets, Ralph Dartford, Kate Fox and Jo Bell, will discuss the Yorkshire landscape and its influence on their own work, as well as those who have gone before, and why it remains such a great place for poetry.
From Ted Hughes to Simon Armitage, Yorkshire has produced some of our greatest poets, but what is it about God’s Own Country that inspires such lyricism and poetic prowess?
For Hughes, it was the verdant Calder Valley landscape of his youth which he later seared onto the page, and this small corner of the world, with its wild moors and ever-changing weather, left a mark on Sylvia Plath, too.
Today, a new generation of poets are drawing inspiration from Yorkshire’s heritage and diverse communities. This inspired conversation is chaired by poet, Jo Bell.
About the Poets

Ralph Dartford
Ralph Dartford’s first pamphlet, Cigarettes, Beer and Love was published by Ossett Observer Presents in 2013. His next collection, Recovery Songs, was published by Valley Press in 2019, and Hidden Music followed in October 2021. In 2024, his 3rd collection for Valley Press, House Anthems’ was published to great acclaim and completed a trilogy of themed work.
Ralph is the poetry editor at northerngravy and is currently studying for a Creative Writing PhD at the University of Huddersfield that focuses on the tensions between ‘performance poetry’ and ‘page poetry’. For an honest living, Ralph is a project manager working within criminal justice for the National Literacy Trust.’

Kate Fox
Kate Fox is a Bradford-born stand up poet and broadcaster. She’s a regular contributor to Radio 3’s spoken word cabaret The Verb, has made two comedy series for Radio 4, been Poet in Residence for the Glastonbury Festival and the Great North Run and completed a PhD in stand up comedy. She is the author of Where There’s Muck There’s Bras: True Stories of the North of England’s Women published by Harper North, and her most recent poetry collection The Oscillations from Nine Arches Press. She is on this year’s Forward Prizes judging panel. She is also a neurodivergent advocate whose latest show Bigger on the Inside explores neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who.

Jo Bell
Jo Bell is a poet and writer based in Macclesfield. Formerly a professional archaeologist, she is the author of two poetry collections and co-author of How To Be A Poet, has been frequently featured on BBC radio, and was director of National Poetry Day in the UK.
Join Our Mailing List
By submitting this form you agree to our Privacy Policy and to receive marketing emails, including e-newsletters and event updates from Bradford Literature Festival.