About Us

Syima CEO profile

Director’s welcome

I look forward to welcoming you to the tenth annual Bradford Literature Festival (28 June – 7 July 2024). BLF 2024 will feature hundreds of unique events for all ages across 10 brilliant days, welcoming some of the most inspirational and creative figures from the worlds of literature, poetry, business, politics, science and history, film and TV, among many others, to Bradford.

Look out for the return of our flagship events including Poetry with a Punch, and the ever-popular Brontë Day and Family Fun Days in City Park, as well as several new themes and topics.

We passionately believe in the power of words to broaden horizons and raise aspirations and we hope you can join us on this journey of discovery.

Syima Aslam, Founder, CEO & Artistic Director

About Bradford Literature Festival

Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is an annual festival and year-round cultural outreach programme encompassing the best of literature, music, theatre, cultural discussions, lectures and family events. The festival is unique in the country for its diverse and imaginative approach to high-quality arts and cultural programming.

BLF creates spaces that are welcoming and inclusive for all. Our representative programmes give a platform to diverse and marginalised voices and stories to create a supportive space for even the most challenging conversations. To make sure everyone can access our work, we have pioneered ‘Ethical Ticketing’ – this means our events are free for people who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend arts and cultural events.

Arts, culture and literature have the power to change lives

Our seamless integration of diverse artists, audiences and issues creates a space in which no conversation is off limits. We embrace and amplify openness, curiosity and exploration, to encourage questions rather than shut them down. Each person is a walking world, and we use words, literature and culture to understand the experiences of others. BLF brings together people of all backgrounds and communities to celebrate all that unites us, while creating a nuanced understanding of that which divides us.

As well as widely celebrated annually recurring strands, such as the Brontës, Poetry, World Affairs & Politics, Global Futures and Health & Wellbeing, each year the Festival programme also encompasses important literary and historical anniversaries. BLF explores the issues and trends of the moment, weaving events throughout the programme thematically.

The festival takes place annually over 10-days at the end of June and the start of July, with a programme stretching from the heart of the city and across the district. BLF’s signature mix of topic-led events includes author talks, world-class poetry lineups, live music, film, theatre and more. These events attract more than 70,000 people to Bradford each year.

Our ever-popular annual flagship events include the Lyrical Mehfil, Poetry with a Punch and Comico – our own mini Comicon. Each year we also host multiple panel discussions to create a space for dialogue, debate and reflection. Covering topics ranging from faith, climate change and gender politics to the role of the media, sports and fairy tales. At BLF we truly believe there is something for everyone.

BLF operates an extensive Ethical Ticketing Policy, offering free or discounted tickets to those who might otherwise be unable to attend the festival. Combined with low ticket prices overall (a standard priced ticket is as little as £7), BLF attracts audiences more socio-economically diverse than any other literature festival in the UK.

Schools and Education

The BLF Schools and Education Programme is an integral part of the festival and runs year-round in schools across the Bradford district.

The programme is dedicated to offering all young people the opportunity to engage with life-changing literature and is built upon a belief in the power of words to open minds and raise aspirations.

The programme is FREE for maintained schools and education groups in Bradford and offers a wide range of literature-based events and workshops for students from Early Years to Sixth Form/FE.

To date, the BLF Education Programme has reached over 120,000 students and educators and engaged 80% of all primary and secondary schools across the Bradford District.

BLF Projects

BLF works with 35 grassroots organisations from across the Bradford district to develop their creative practice and support cultural engagement.

The projects that we support are as diverse as the people that we serve, working with refugees, children in care, women’s centres, homeless services, hospice care, mental health providers, hospitals and more, with events tailored to the needs of each community.

Proud member of