The inspirational Yorkshire Festival Of Story is bringing yet another heavy-hitter to our patch: Nigerian author Ben Okri OBE will be making a rare appearance in the Yorkshire Dales this weekend as he headlines two events at Yorkshire Festival of Story (YFOS, 4 - 27 November).

This year the world’s largest storytelling festival is responding to the provocation, “How can we use storytelling to respond to our most urgent threat - the climate emergency?”, and is bringing world-leading experts across the fields of science, culture and climate activism to the international stage. Ben Okri, one of the world’s greatest living authors, will be live at Skipton Town Hall on Saturday 19 November, 7PM, to discuss his new books Every Leaf a Hallelujah and The Last Gift of the Master Artists, a free event that will also be streamed online to international audiences. The following morning he will also lead a nature writing workshop in the spectacular setting of Langcliffe in the Yorkshire Dales - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a select group of local writers.

This significant cultural moment comes a week after news that Settle Stories, the charity behind YFOS, is joining Arts Council England’s national portfolio and will be awarded investment of £450,000 over the next three years.

The spotlight on the climate emergency continues apace as YFOS teams up with global creative campaign Letters to the Earth to run a free online letter writing workshop on Saturday 19 November. Selected letter writers at the workshop will have the opportunity to read their letter live for YFOS’s online anniversary celebration of Letters to the Earth on 25th November alongside model, actress and climate justice campaigner Lily Cole, author Ben Okri, NASA datascientist Peter Kalmus and influential climate lawyer and activist Farhana Yamin, who was named a “powerhouse of climate justice” by the BBC.

Book your free tickets:

Ben Okri: https://yorkshirefestivalofstory.com/event/master-artist-ben-okri-in-person/

Letters Workshop: https://yorkshirefestivalofstory.com/event/letters-to-the-earth-workshop/

Letters Panel: https://yorkshirefestivalofstory.com/event/letters-to-the-earth-talk