Irvine Welsh among Ilkley Literature Festival stars
Comedian Alan Davies will be sharing his journey in the world of comedy with his latest memoir White Male Stand-Up, while Queen of Shops retail expert Mary Portas will take guests "behind the shop window" with I Shop, Therefore I Am. Paddington and Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville will be introducing his first children's book, Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room, while Brandreth will discuss his book Somewhere, A Boy and A Bear, which marks the centenary of the publication of Winnie the Pooh.For The Dark Side of the Internet theme, journalist James Bloodworth shares his experiences investigating the toxic subcultures of the "manosphere" and Dr Kaitlyn Regehr will explain why screen addiction is on the rise and how we can quit our phones.
Ilkley Literature Festival has been going since 1973 and the very first one was opened by the legendary poet W.H. Auden - author of Funeral Blues. Ms Morris said: "From the very earliest days, Ilkley was called - rather condescendingly - an 'outpost of progress' because it brought incredible writers and thinkers and artists to a relatively small Yorkshire town, back when the only other literature festival in the country was Cheltenham. "It was very innovative right from the get-go and incredibly expansive in the subjects that it raised and the kind of writers that it included."Other well-known faces include Sir Tony Robinson introducing his fiction debut and broadcasters Edward Stourton, Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie.Irvine Welsh will be discussing the sequel to his bestseller Trainspotting.
Men in Love picks up the story Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie in a new era as they head into rave and romance in the late 1990s.Other "big ideas" up for discussion include how to save the planet in a climate crisis, explorations in philosophy and the science of politeness.When asked who she is particularly excited to see, Ms Morris replied: "Nick Clegg." She added: "I think Nick will be a really interesting person to to hear from and I think he's probably going to get some really interesting questions from our audience as well."Tickets go on general sale on Tuesday 26 August, with priority bookings open for Friends of the Festival from Wednesday 20 August.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
24 minutes ago
- Reuters
OBITUARY Terence Stamp, actor who played Superman villain Zod, dies at 87
LONDON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Terence Stamp liked to recall how he was on the verge of becoming a tantric sex teacher at an ashram in India when, in 1977, he received a telegram from his London agent with news that he was being considered for the "Superman" film. "I was on the night flight the next day," Stamp said in an interview with his publisher Watkins Books in 2015. After eight years largely out of work, getting the role of the arch-villain General Zod in "Superman" and "Superman II" turned the full glare of Hollywood's limelight on the Londoner. Buoyed by his new role, Stamp said he would respond to curious looks from passers-by with a command of: "Kneel before Zod, you bastards," which usually went down a storm. He died on Sunday morning, aged 87, his family said in a statement. The cause was not immediately known. "He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come," the family statement said. Terence Henry Stamp was born in London's East End in 1938, the son of a tugboat coal stoker and a mother who Stamp said gave him his zest for life. As a child he endured the bombing of the city during World War Two and the deprivations that followed. "The great blessing of my life is that I had the really hard bit at the beginning because we were really poor," he said. He left school to work initially as a messenger boy for an advertising firm and quickly moved up the ranks before he won a scholarship to go to drama school. Until then he had kept his acting ambitions secret from his family for fear of disapproval. "I couldn't tell anyone I wanted to be an actor because it was out of the question. I would have been laughed at," he said. He shared a flat with another young London actor, Michael Caine, and landed the lead role in director Peter Ustinov's 1962 adaptation of "Billy Budd", a story of brutality in the British navy in the 18th century. That role earned him an Academy Award nomination and filled him with pride. "To be cast by somebody like Ustinov was something that gave me a great deal of self-confidence in my film career," Stamp told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2019. "During the shooting, I just thought, 'Wow! This is it'." Famous for his good looks and impeccable dress sense, he formed one of Britain's most glamorous couples with Julie Christie, with whom he starred in "Far From the Madding Crowd" in 1967. But he said the love of his life was the model Jean Shrimpton. "When I lost her, then that also coincided with my career taking a dip," he said. After failing to land the role of James Bond to succeed Sean Connery, Stamp sought a change of scene. He appeared in Italian films and worked with Federico Fellini in the late 1960s. "I view my life really as before and after Fellini," he said. "Being cast by him was the greatest compliment an actor like myself could get." It was while working in Rome – where he appeared in Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Theorem" in 1968 and "A Season in Hell" in 1971 - that Stamp met Indian spiritual speaker and writer Jiddu Krishnamurti in 1968. Krishnamurti taught the Englishman how to pause his thoughts and meditate, prompting Stamp to study yoga in India. Mumbai was his base but he spent long periods at the ashram in Pune, dressed in orange robes and growing his hair long, while learning the teachings of his yogi, including tantric sex. "There was a rumour around the ashram that he was preparing me to teach the tantric group," he said in the 2015 interview with Watkins Books. "There was a lot of action going on." After landing the role of General Zod, the megalomaniacal leader of the Kryptonians, in "Superman" in 1978 and its sequel in 1980, both times opposite Christopher Reeves, he went on to appear in a string of other films, including as a transgender woman in "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" in 1994. Other films included "Valkyrie" with Tom Cruise in 2008, "The Adjustment Bureau" with Matt Damon in 2011 and movies directed by Tim Burton. He counted Princess Diana among his friends. "It wasn't a formal thing, we'd just meet up for a cup of tea, or sometimes we'd have a long chat for an hour. Sometimes it would be very quick," he told the Daily Express newspaper in 2017. "The time I spent with her was a good time." In 2002, Stamp married for the first time at the age of 64 -- to Elizabeth O'Rourke, a pharmacist, who was 35 years his junior. They divorced in 2008. Asked by the Stage 32 website how he got film directors to believe in his talent, Stamp said: "I believed in myself. "Originally, when I didn't get cast I told myself there was a lack of discernment in them. This could be considered conceit. I look at it differently. Cherishing that divine spark in myself."
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Terence Stamp dies aged 87
Actor Terence Stamp has died aged 87, his family have said. The Oscar-nominated actor made his name in 1960s London and went on to play the arch-villain General Zod in Superman and Superman II. He also starred in films ranging from Pier Paolo Pasolini's Theorem in 1968 and A Season in Hell in 1971 to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994, in which he played a transgender woman. His family said in a statement that he died on Sunday morning. They added: 'He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer, that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come. We ask for privacy at this sad time.' Born in London's East End in 1938, the son of a tugboat stoker, he endured the bombing of the city during the Second World War before leaving school to work in advertising, but then won a scholarship to go to drama school. Famous for his good looks and impeccable dress sense, he formed one of Britain's most glamorous couples with Julie Christie, with whom he starred in Far From the Madding Crowd in 1967. He also dated the model Jean Shrimpton and was chosen as a muse by photographer David Bailey. After failing to land the role of James Bond to succeed Sean Connery, he appeared in Italian films and worked with Federico Fellini in the late 1960s. He dropped out of the limelight and studied yoga in India before landing his most high-profile role as General Zod, the megalomaniacal leader of the Kryptonians, in Superman in 1978 and its sequel in 1980. He went on to appear in a string of other films, including Valkyrie with Tom Cruise in 2008, The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon in 2011 and movies directed by Tim Burton.
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Blankety Blank player misses out on top prize after picking the wrong phrase – but would you have got it?
A BLANKETY Blank contestant missed out on a top prize after choosing an incorrect phrase - but would you have got it? Hosted by Bradley Walsh, the beloved game show is going strong for the BBC in 2025. 4 4 4 Viewers watched as David narrowly missed out in one of the rounds. The contestant received the word Down, which was then followed by a blank. With three celebrities' help, David had to match their common phrases. He first selected Nish Kumar, who offered up the word "Hill", making Downhill. David then chose Shane Richie, who suggested "Town" to make Downtown. His final choice was Lesley Joseph, who put forward "Stairs", for Downstairs. David revealed to Bradley that he was considering "Under" as his choice. Locking that in as his answer, it was revealed Under was third most popular answer - for £500. The second most popular answer was Lesley's suggestion, Stairs, which would have been £750. Meanwhile, coming out on top was Town, Shane's choice - which was for a home decorating package. Blankety Blank viewers in shock after discovering winning contestant died after filming show Blankety Blank viewers were recently left shocked after discovering a contestant had sadly died. RAF veteran Nathanael Hill passed away after filming for the hit show took place. A tribute flashed up on screen to commemorate his life at the end of his episode. It came as viewers had just watched Nathanel winning the show's main prize. One person penned: "Jesus. RIP Nathaniel." A second said: "Well I don't normally bother with the credits at the end of #blanketyblank but that was a sad way to finish a jolly show." A third then commented: "Rest in perfect peace, Nathanael Hill." Blankety Blank airs on BBC One and iPlayer. 4
