Get 25% off Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival tickets

Sir Michael Parkinson will be looking back at his life and career during the festival

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Tickets for Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival are on sale online, with an 'Early Bird' discount of 25% until 4pm on 31 August.

You can also book and collect tickets in person from Touchstones Arts and Heritage Centre so get yours early and save money.

This year there are nearly 40 events in 13 venues from 17 to 23 October during the festival organised by Rochdale Borough Council.

The festival features talk show legend Sir Michael Parkinson, comedian and novelist Jenny Eclair, Manchester poet Tony Walsh, former hostage Terry Waite CBE, former Home Secretary and Labour MP Alan Johnson plus crime writer Mandasue Heller.

Other highlights include ‘Thrills and Quills: Jane Austen’s Life in Letters’ – a new comedy by award winning national theatre company LipService. Best-selling author Rosie Goodwin will be discussing her latest novel ‘Mothering Sunday’ as part of an afternoon tea event at the town hall. Internationally acclaimed writers’ collective ‘The Whole Kahani’, featuring Mona Dash, Catherine Memon and Reshma Ruia, will be discussing ‘Love Across a Broken Map’ – their short story collection.

Events will cover drama, comedy, poetry, spoken word, visual arts and children’s shows. For young people aged 14 to 25, another ‘Generation Z’ programme is being put together.

Councillor Janet Emsley Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Community and Culture said:"Last year we sold over 3,200 tickets and our Early Bird offer was very popular, so once again we are encouraging people to book early, with hundreds of tickets reduced until 31 August. We have another very intriguing and interesting programme - an amazing combination of international names, theatre, comedy, poetry, workshops and more, with everything from global stories to afternoon tea with one of our top authors.”

The festival will include guest speakers and writers and is aimed at celebrating and promoting the Maskew Collection of classic literature and philosophy at Rochdale Central Library, encouraging people to engage with books and ideas.

Annie and Frank Maskew, a Rochdale couple who shared a passion for reading and thinking, met in Rochdale Library in the 1950s and left a sum of money to be used on resources and events related to literature and philosophy to ensure classic works are available for future generations.

The festival is organised by Rochdale Borough Council, supported by the Maskew Bequest and sponsored by The Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre and creative digital media company - JGM Agency.

For children and families there is also a secret agent themed programme of events.

You can view the full programme and book Early Bird tickets at: 

www.rochdaleliteraturefestival.co.uk/whats-on/