An exclusive one-off event showcasing the legendary White Rabbit Books, purveyors of some of the best books about music and pop culture in recent memory. 

Join us for a special panel event with White Rabbit supremo Lee Brackstone, writer, poet, cultural critic and memoirist Adelle Stripe and the one and only David Keenan, author of the cult classic This Is Memorial Device and several other works of genre-bending fiction and non-fiction.

 This is our showpiece event for Leeds LitFest 2025 and is not one to be missed.

But: Life Isn't Like That, Is It? is the new book by Boff Whalley, musician, author, and a founding member of the anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba and commoners choir. 

These stories are about real lives and real people - stuttering, wayward, disjointed, funny, ridiculous and unplanned. 

Boff will be at the beautiful Mill Hill Chapel to talk about, and sing, the stories that make up the book.

Lucy Vine is a writer, editor and the bestselling author of novels Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell and Are We Nearly There Yet?

Laura Wood is an academic and a writer. She is the winner of the Montegrappa Scholastic Prize for New Children's Writing and the author of the Poppy Pym series.

They’ll be talking romance with Rebecca Ryan, who will be moderating our event.

Florence Grimes is a 31-year-old party girl who always takes the easy way out. After a dismal end to her girlband career, she's living in West London, single, broke and unfulfilled with only her son Dylan to keep her afloat. But then Alfie Risby, the ten-year-old heir to a frozen food empire and Dylan’s school rival, mysteriously vanishes on a class trip, and Dylan becomes a prime suspect. 

In Wild Women Writing the North, author and poet Rachel Bower is in conversation with poet, academic and folklorist Professor Emily Zobel Marshall. Rachel will talk about, and read from, her debut novel It Comes from the River (Bloomsbury) as well as her new poetry collection, Bee (Hazel Press). Emily will share her insights and also read from her first poetry collection, Bath of Herbs (Peepal Tree Press).

Join Christopher R. Moore (Leeds Poetry Festival Award 2023, Frances Browne Literary Festival Award 2024) for a short lecture on sports, A. E Housman, and the surprising importance of single-syllable words in poetry.

This will be followed by a workshop, which will explore setting, voice, and poetic structure through a series of unique and collaborative prompts.

You will also have the opportunity to perform and receive feedback on the poems created in this workshop. What Have You In Your Heart is designed to help you create cleaner, braver poetry.

An exclusive event from Leeds Libraries and Hyde Park Book Club with two legendary grave dwellers who’ve written extensively on goth music and subculture, including Simon’s recent Curepedia and Everything, his extraordinary biography of the Manic Street Preachers; and John Robb's landmark history of goth, Art Of Darkness, published in 2023. The event will feature both writers in conversation with writer, poet and musician Stu Hennigan and there may be a chance to hear some classic goth tunes too.

Local authors and poets will join us to discuss their experience in the writing, editing and publishing process from their first-hand perspective.

We’re kicking off the summer with poetry at everyone’s favourite brunch spot in Hyde Park. Join LPF at Leeds Lit Fest for ‘Bards do Brunch’ for a chance to share your poetry over breakfast, coffee or pastry in the Snug at Hyde Park Book Club.

This is a ticketed event with a sign-up for anyone who wants to read some of their latest work in the comfort of fellow poets. Bring a notebook for the breaks, get advice from others, and share your thoughts on the poems you hear.

Brunch is not included in the ticket price.

Oh hi, Mark! Join us for an extra special anniversary evening of The Room –  where we'll be joined by the film's star, and New York Times best-selling author of the Oscar-nominated The Disaster Artist, Greg Sestero.

Celebrated as one of the 21st century's most beloved cult films, we're delighted to welcome The Room back to HPPH for this special 20th anniversary screening, featuring a live script reading and Q&A with Greg Sestero! There will also be a meet-and-greet with Greg before the film and maybe even a bonus surprise or two?!