It came as no surprise to hear that Simon Armitage was opening Ilkley Literature Festival. It’s not his first time. Armitage’s association with the festival goes back years and he’s a sure-fire bet for a full house on...
Read MoreWe all became so blasé about the concept of a ‘journey’ didn’t we? Sit down, lift off, couple of gins, a nice snooze and then whooosh, applaud the pilot and back on the ground. Dublin, Paris, Bangkok, Sydney – the destination...
Read MoreSimon Armitage’s The Last Days of Troy at Manchester’s Royal Exchange is the stuff that dreams are made of. For the dramatist it is the cumulation of a dream that began in the café of Hebden Bridge railway station; for the cast...
Read MoreBack in summer 2010, Yorkshire poet Simon Armitage embarked on an ambitious walk: the 256-mile route of the Pennine Way, from Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders to Edale in the Peak District. He took no money, but instead...
Read MoreIn the atmospheric setting of Manchester Cathedral, a large crowd gathers to hear the night’s sermon. From the well-lit centre to the room’s shadowy corners, an audience of all ages sits chatting excitedly, impatient to...
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