Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival 2014 confirmed

Gyles Brandreth entertained a packed audience at last year’s festival

Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival will return this year, with organisers promising another feast of events covering drama, dance, music, theatre, films, visual arts and children’s shows. The three day festival will be staged this October, with dates to be announced next month.

Authors, acts, performers and workshops will start to be confirmed from March.

The festival will include events at venues in Rochdale town centre and boroughwide.

Councillor Peter Williams, Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Economic Development at Rochdale Borough Council said the festival is a fantastic showcase for the borough: “This new festival enjoyed a fantastic debut last year and I am sure that in 2014 Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival will provide another feast of culture for everyone to enjoy. We are all really looking forward to sharing the programme.”

Last year thousands attended the festival, which featured over 40 events on a diverse line up that included the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, rapper Akala, actor and musical star Kevin Kennedy and poet Simon Armitage. Over 98% of visitors surveyed said they would attend again this year.

The festival is due to the generosity of Annie and Frank Maskew, a Rochdale couple who shared a passion for reading and thinking, and originally met in Rochdale Library. They 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.

Linda Fisher, Deputy Chief Executive of Rochdale Borough Council said she hopes 2014 will be bigger and better: “The second Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival will be full of life and inspiration, offering something for everyone, from history to fiction, poetry to music, and plenty of humour in between.

"We received a great deal of visitor feedback following our first festival, which we are using to help make this year even better.

"We will be putting together another fabulous programme, getting lots of talented local people involved and we will include some new festival venues too.

"It’s a great opportunity for residents, groups or local businesses, so I urge people to get in touch with us now.”