ILKLEY Literature Festival (ILF) has announced the first of their digital events which will take place this autumn.

The programme includes screenings of BBC Arena documentaries to celebrate Carnival, innovative theatre productions and a variety of thought-provoking and insightful digital workshops.

The full schedule for the festival’s Digital Weekend of free online author events, broadcast over Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25 will be announced on Thursday, October 8.

The festival is kicking off the programme by partnering with Your Local Arena, a project revisiting the BBC Arena documentary archive. They will be screening three ground-breaking documentaries – Calypso, Carnival and Steel Pan and Three Kinds of Calypso – as well as a new short film in which academics and experts respond to these Arena archives and discuss the resonances they have in the era of the Black Lives Matter movement.

They will be sharing new poems, written by local writers, inspired by the films, in addition to a free online masterclass about how to start your personal writing journey, led by local nonfiction author Colin Grant.

The films, poems and masterclass are all free and will be on their website for five days only from Tuesday, October 6 to Saturday, October 10.

‘You Don’t Know Me But...’ is a new telephone theatre play written and performed by theatre maker Sophia Hatfield and directed by Olivier Award Winning Theatre and BBC Radio Director Gwenda Hughes.

This intimate one-woman audio play is performed live over the phone, giving audience members a unique and moving theatre experience in their own homes at a time when live face-to-face theatre performance is not possible. Using live music, live foley, beautiful writing and immersive sound effects this is a unique approach to socially distanced theatre.

Ilkley Literature Festival Director Erica Morris said: “We are delighted to partner with Stute Theatre and B Arts to present this show allowing isolated audience members the opportunity to book and experience a real live theatre performance, without leaving their homes. We particularly hope that this performance will help those without easy access to other digital events.”

Performances will take place from Tuesday, October 13 to Saturday, October 17 and are free of charge. However, places must be booked in advance; call the ILF Box Office on 01943 816714 and leave a message with your name and telephone number.

The first of ILF’s digital workshops will begin this October, with a line-up that includes poetry for publication, editing crime fiction, and writing for wellness.

Preparing Poems for Publication with Professor John Whale is on Saturday, October 17, from 11am-12.30pm, £15 per person. Director of the University of Leeds Poetry Centre and co-editor of Stand magazine John Whale helps you prepare your poems for submissions to magazines. Drawing on his 18 years of editorial experience, John will help guide you along the route to successful publication.

Editing Crime Fiction is on Saturday, October 24 from 11am-12.30pm, £15 per person. Learn about the fascinating process of editing, crafting character journeys and viewpoints and the importance of structure and pace with Katherine Armstrong, Editorial Director of Fiction at Bonnier Books.

Wellness Writing begins on Tuesday, October 27 and runs for six weeks, 2pm or 7.30pm, £90 per person. Whether you are a seasoned poet or have never written anything more creative than a shopping list, this six-week course of Wellness Writing is designed for all levels of experience. Learn how to use wellness practices in your writing and examine the science of kindness with experienced writer and poet Andy Craven Griffiths.

Booking is open now on 01943 816714 or www.ilkleylitfest.org.uk/festival.