It's Festival time!
Nicola Griffith and her novel Hild at Ilkley Literature Festival Autumn is drawing on fast (in my part of the world, at least). The nights are closing in, and it's time to curl up in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book. So it's not surprising that, in many places just now, literature festivals are taking place. My nearest big festival is Ilkley Literature Festival, which was born in the same year as me - 1973. Long-term fans will know I have a long-standing relationship with the festival. It was here, after a one-to-one, that I first made the decision to pursue professional fiction writing as an adult. I have performed in the Open Mic twice. And I have twice appeared in the festival Fringe, with themed short story readings - Bradford: City of Fantasy and Tales of Royalty and Imagination. This year, I have jo...