POET Laureate Andrew Motion will be the star guest at a Yorkshire poetry festival showcasing the talents of local writers.
The Ted Hughes Festival, which takes place from October 22 to 28 at Hebden Bridge, will be officially opened by the country’s leading poet.
Entrants from all over the world, including 150 from Yorkshire will be vying for the festival’s top prize, the Elmet Poetry Prize.
The winner will be announced by Frieda Hughes, the daughter of Ted Hughes, during the event to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of the former Poet Laureate.
A separate Yorkshire Poetry Prize, sponsored by Huddersfield University and held to honour the talents of local writers, will also be handed out by Frieda.
The awards ceremony takes place on October 24 at the Ted Hughes Theatre in Mytholmroyd in the Calder Valley, which was Hughes’ birthplace. It will follow the world premiere of a play about the boyhood of Hughes, called Dreaming of Foxes.
The week-long celebration also includes world premieres of orchestral music, art exhibitions, talks and readings from poets including Lemn Sissay, Anne Stevenson and John Siddque. Tickets can be booked on 07592 577482or visit www.theelmettrust.com.
