Today, Headingley is a busy suburb of Leeds but its highways, by-ways and back-ways testify to a long and ancient settlement and the criss-crossing of generations of Headingley folk.

Lucy Newlyn celebrates Headingley through her poetry collection Ginnel, Julia Blackburn, who was at Bennett Road School (now Heart) for a while, recalls her life as the daughter of a Leeds University Gregory Fellow in her book The Three of Us and William Fryer Harvey (brought up in Spring Bank) wrote of his happy Headingley childhood in We Were Seven.

Architecturally Headingley ranges from humble cottages to the remnants of landed estates, from rows of terraces and semis to mansion houses, from the churches of St. Michaels and St. Chads to modern architectural statements.

J R R Tolkien lived in Headingley when he worked at the University of Leeds, Arthur Ransome was born in Headingley, T S Eliot visited his in-laws in Weetwood and Alan Bennett lived over a butcher's shop opposite the Three Horseshoes. George Orwell used to stay in Estcourt Terrace with his stepsister and her husband Humpy Dakin, Jon Silkin used his flat at 144 Otley Road as the first office of STAND magazine and Geoffrey Hill lived in Shire Oak Road. Kay Mellor still lives in Far Headingley.

 

Many talented Leeds and Headingley residents (both past and present) have contributed to the Headingley LitFest. Names such as: Bob Barnard, Ray Brown, Phil Caplan, Ian Duhig, Nicolette Jones, Linda Marshall, James Nash, Paul Priest, Michelle Scalley-Clarke, Rommi Smith, Peter Spafford, Lynn Thornton, Martin Wainwright and Joe Williams.

Groups such as The Theatre of the Dales and Trio Literati have been stalwarts and Lucht Focail has also appeared. We are blessed by a close association with two universities and many academics (Kester Aspden, Richard Brown, Janet Douglas, Rory McTurk, and Dave Russell) have contributed and the Brotherton Library Special Collection has generously opened its doors to us. Headingley even has its own female sleuth! Her name is Kate Shackleton and she is the creation of Frances McNeill (aka Frances Brody) in Dying In The Wool and A Medal For Murder. We are also building a new heritage as we welcome distinguished names such as, Beryl Bainbridge, Ben Okri and David Peace to the LitFest, and as the talented and generous householders of Headingley open their doors to sing, recite, tell tales and perform for us.