Mad Hatters, Manga and Marvel comics will take over Huddersfield when its Literature Festival returns.
They are just some of the dozens of events for all ages that will take place across the town from March 5 to 15.
This year attendees will be propelled into the future as the festival discusses life in the future.
The time warp will begin at the University of Huddersfield on March 5, when DC and Marvel comic writer M R Carey arrives to discuss his new thriller.
Outlandish costumes will be spotted around town two days later, when a Manga convention, which will celebrate the Japanese artistic form, takes place.
And Huddersfield’s famed eccentric inventor Wilf Lunn will take to the stage on March 15 to discuss life in England after an apocalypse.
Audiences will be encouraged to turn performers themselves, thanks to a big effort to boost the amount of hands on workshops.
Visitors will be able to try their hand at several skills, such as slam poetry, where performers battle through witty wordplay on stage, puppet and musicmaking, short film writing, creating short stories and beating writers’ block.
A host of authors, poets and artists from near and far will entertain crowds late into the evenings, such as Almondbury’s Joanne Harris and US award-winning slam poet Jamie DeWolf, the great grandson of Scientologist L Ron Hubbard and fierce critic of the church.
The life and work of civil rights activist Dr Maya Angelou will also be celebrated alongside upcoming LGBT performers.
And this will all be preceeded by a special free family day event on February 28, which will transport people into the heart of Alice and Wonderland to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the novel.
Held at the Packhorse Centre, it will include interactive storytelling sessions with a balloon artist and competitions.
Michelle Hodgson, director of the festival, said: “The festival continues to go from strength to strength.
“We hope that visitors will love some of the interesting and innovative events which will showcase new talent and offer many free events.”
For more information, go to: litfest.org.uk.
To book, go to: https://tickets.kirklees.gov.uk/esro/show.asp
