Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival 2015

Dom Joly at the Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival 2015

This year’s Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival challenged people to ‘expand their minds’ and brought names from the world of literature to Rochdale.

Starting on Friday 23 October, events were spread across Rochdale and took place in venues including Number One Riverside, The Flying Horse Hotel and Rochdale Pioneers Museum.

Big names for Friday included Helen Lederer and Andy Kershaw.

At Number One Riverside Helen Lederer discussed her debut novel, Losing It, a wickedly funny tale of Millie, a middle-aged, depressed, formerly famous but now on her uppers, who is offered the chance to be the front woman of a miraculous diet pill.

Over at The Flying Horse Hotel, Andy Kershaw put on his one man show and treated the audience to recollections of a life spent both on the front lines of rock and roll, and some of the world’s most extreme countries.

Events included Around the World in 80 Days, a theatre show produced by Joyce Branagh especially for the Literature and Ideas Festival and an Evening with Lemn Sissay at Hopwood Hall College.

Saturday 24 October saw Gervase Phinn and Dom Jolly take to the stage.

Entitled ‘An Hour with Gervase Phinn’ the audience was treated to a light-hearted and entertaining talk about his life and work. Dr Phinn is an author, comedian, poet, broadcaster, educational guru and after dinner speaker. He is perhaps best known for his bestselling series of Dales books and novels.

Comedian and journalist Dom Joly spoke about his latest book, ‘Here Comes the Clown: A Stumble Through Show Business’, to audiences at Number One Riverside.

The second day of the festival also saw performances and talks by Jonathan Harvey, Bonnie Greer and David Starkey.

The final day of the festival, Sunday 25 October, saw actor and photographer Bill Ward take to the stage in St Edmund’s Church. Currently appearing on television screens as James Barton in Emmerdale, Bill is also a highly respected photographer, who was recently commended at the Landscape Photographer of the Year awards. At the event, ‘In Conversation’, Bill spoke about this life and art.

Poet Carol Ann Duffy returned to the festival and brought along Imtiaz Dharker and John A Sampson. In ‘An Evening with Carol Ann Duffy,’ both poets were accompanied by musician and composer John A Sampson as they recited pieces of their work to audiences.

The final day of the festival also aw appearances from Peter Chand and Frances Brody and Ghost Walks also took place.