Behind the well-known name of St. James’s Hospital lies a story of two dedicated professionals, both called James. Join us to learn more about their lives and legacy.

Between them, Dr James Allan and Mr James Ford devoted decades of their working lives to the welfare of local people, as Medical Superintendent of the Leeds Union Infirmary and Clerk to the Board of Guardians respectively. Both were honoured in the naming of St. James’s Hospital in 1925, but what were their accomplishments and how did they pave the way for the city’s huge medical institution of today?

For the first of two satellite events as part of Battle of Ideas 2024*,  we welcome back author and broadcaster Timandra Harkness to discuss her new book, Technology is Not the Problem. 

As part of the 2024 Farsley Literature Festival we are bringing you another fabulous event, join us in the Old Woollen as we chat to Anna Murphy, Fashion Director of The Times. Anna will be introducing Destination Fabulous – her inspirational and invigorating guide to embracing your age and celebrating the wisdom and inner beauty that comes with it.

From the Fashion Director of The Times comes a wise and inspiring guide to making the most of life as a grown-up woman – from the practical (how to dress your best) to the existential (how to feel your best).

The talk

Ellie will talk about the current housing emergency in this country, the scale of it and what this looks like for individuals and communities. She will also talk about the government’s current plans for housing and what Shelter is campaigning to see.

We're delighted to welcome Emily Kerr, Romantic Novelists' Association award winner 2023, to Wetherby Community Hub and Library. Emily is the author of feel-good romantic comedies, and has been scribbling stories on bits of paper ever since she could write. Emily will talk about the inspiration behind her books, focussing in particular on The Typo which came out recently, and Take A Chance On Greece which won the RNA award. She'll also talk about her journey to publication and her writing process, and there'll be an opportunity to ask Emily questions about her writing journey.

JRR Tolkien taught in the Department of English at Leeds University from 1920 to 1925. He was made the first Professor of English Language in 1924.

During his time in Leeds Tolkien produced a revised version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with his colleague EV Gordon, worked on his translation of Beowulf which was not published until 2014 and developed his Lost Tales, the stories of the proto-Silmarillion which he had begun in the trenches of the Great War, besides setting up a curriculum for his departmental students which substantially remains the same to this day.

We warmly welcome you to join us for an evening of conversation with local artists and Yorkshire Dance.

Our annual Artist gathering is free and open to all independent dance artists and those with an interest in collaborating with dance artists working in Yorkshire.

At Purple Patch Arts, we do learning differently. 

Our ‘Purple Patch Approach’ to learning uses creative and multi-sensory activities like drama, dance, music, literature and visual arts to explore ideas, themes and topics in ways which are accessible, imaginative and joyful! 

We work with learning-disabled people of all ages and support needs; our approach allows everyone to access our work in their own way and supports people to learn in the way that best suits them.

What can a theoretical approach to Black British history tell us about race and racism in the prison system? Dr Liam J Liburd examines a disturbing moment in British history to reveal the role of white supremacist movements in 1970s Britain.

As part of the 2024 Farsley Literature Festival we are bringing you another fabulous event, join us in the shop for an evening in conversation with SJ Bradley, as she introduces us to her latest writing ‘Maps of Imaginary Towns’.

Stories emerging from the period of austerity under the leadership of Johnson and Cameron, from this established northern author and tutor of talent in literary fiction and a short fiction tutor.