Leeds Trinity students perform at Ilkley Literature Festival

A group of Leeds Trinity University students performed at the prestigious Ilkley Literature Festival in Yorkshire this week.

Ten students from the MA Creative Writing course delivered short stories, flash fiction and poetry from Leeds Trinity's second annual anthology; Journeys: A Space for Words.

The collection was written by students and lecturers, and was edited by students Stephanie Buick and Lucy Brighton; who were also responsible for submitting the successful application to perform at this year's festival.

Speaking after the festival, Stephanie said: "I never dreamt before doing the MA that I would be reading my own stories out to a proper audience. I wasn't expecting performance skills to be included on the MA course but I'm really glad they are. Reading my work out introduces the dimension of immediacy which enriches it hugely and makes it much more rewarding. The culture at Leeds Trinity really pushes students to attempt activities that feel out of reach.

"It was a very exciting, but also very scary opportunity but the performance went really well. Everybody was delighted with it and we've had very positive feedback; I'm delighted."

The anthology is made up of 25 pieces in total; each focusing on different interpretations of a journey. Some deal with universal themes such as love, loss and growing up, whilst others explore more varied interpretations including The Stormtrooper in a Service Station.

Nigel Walsh, Chair of Ilkley Literature Festival, was highly complementary of the group's performance. He said: "The students from Leeds Trinity put on a great event; it was an eclectic mix of voices that was enjoyed by everyone in attendance."

The performance, which took place at the Ilkley Playhouse on Tuesday 4 October, came just a week after the group had performed the same recital on local radio station, Chapel FM. Both Stephanie and Lucy have gained masses of confidence following their public performances and are thankful for the opportunities that the MA Creative Writing course has presented.

Lucy said: "One thing I've really loved about my MA at Leeds Trinity is the different opportunities that have arisen from it. Like Stephanie, I was excited but
also apprehensive but I'm so glad I did it. I've gained lots of confidence from the performance and it's something I'd love to do more of now."

The Ilkley Literature Festival is the North of England's oldest and largest literature festival. This year's festival, spanning 17 days in October, will feature
over 260 acts from across the country, including the likes of Sir Tony Robinson, Alan Titchmarsh and the former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

Read more about Leeds Trinity here: www.leedstrinity.ac.uk