Comedian Deborah Frances-White Joins Festival Programme Half a Can of Worms Deborah Frances-White was adopted at ten days old - up until late October 2012 she had no idea who or where her birth-family were. An extraordinary run of events means that she is suddenly living as a round the clock internet Nancy Drew, finding out more information every hour about her birth mother, aunts, uncles, grandparents and even possibly half brothers and sisters. What she is learning, is that you can't open half a can of worms. Come and discover her mysterious past, inevitable future and heart-pounding present as her story unfolds. Saturday 11 October, 7.30pm, Ilkley Playhouse, £6/4 This event has two 30 minute sets, with a 15 minute interval Tickets on sale NOW.

Festival Highlights: Festival Steward Adrian Thompson picks his Top 5 events from the programme. My Father and Other Superheroes: Performance by Nick Makoha Last year, around this time, I saw Nick Makoha walk into a classroom full of disenchanted inner city fifteen year olds, and produce the most inspirational hour I'd ever been a part of, changing some of those students lives for ever. This is a moving and powerful performance exploring the journey from childhood to fatherhood. It's quite unlike anything else in the programme, and definitely worth going to. Friday 17 October, 7.30pm, Ilkley Playhouse, £6/4 Francis Pryor: A Time Traveller's Tale from Prehistory Francis Pryor's probably best known for his appearances on TV - particularly Time Team, but he's also a well respected academic archaeologist who's very easy to like. When he came to the festival a few years ago, he was great, and his event this year looks every bit as good. Looking forward to this one! Sunday 5 October, 2pm, Craiglands Hotel, £8/6 Andy Kershaw This is my 'must see' for the Festival. Andy Kershaw - from giving up on his politics degree to become Leeds University Ent. Sec. via. presenting Live Aid, accidentally inventing World Music, becoming a Radio 1 DJ then a Radio 3 DJ, to being the man who reported for the Today programme from inside Rwanda just after the genocide in 1994 Andy has a lot of stories to tell, and he'll bring them all to life in his own inimitable style. Unmissable! Friday 10 October, 7.30pm, The Kings Hall, £12/10 Bryan and Mary Talbot Another unmissable couple of events. Bryan Talbot is one of my favourite comic book artists. The wonderful, lyrical Tale of One Bad Rat lingers long in the memory, and Alice in Sunderland is brilliant too. He's in Ilkley doing two events, and if you're any kind of comic fan, you should try and get to both. The Masterclass, where he'll be talking about how he creates a graphic novel, is a 'don't miss' and his event with his wife Mary, on their new graphic novel Sally Heathcote: Suffragette looks brilliant too. Bryan Talbot Masterclasses: Sunday 12 October, 1.45pm, Manor House Education Room, £15/10 Bryan and Mary Talbot: Sunday 12 October, 4.30pm, Ilkley Playhouse, £6/4 Barbed Wire for Kisses This is a real surprise, and typical of the sort of jewel that pops up in the programme, almost under the radar. It features two of my favourite storytellers - Hugh Lupton and Nick Hennessey working with two musicians to tell the story of World War 1 by focussing on families in a small Lincolnshire villlage. I could listen to Hugh and Nick for hours, and the event sounds great. Thursday 16 October, 7.30pm, Ilkley Playhouse, £10/8 Adrian will be hosting his own Fringe event to share his experiences as a volunteer on Book Bus, which works with children in rural schools in Zambia. All Aboard the Book Bus, Mon, 13 October, 9.15pm, Ilkley Playhouse, FREE Book online at www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk Box Office: 01943 816 714 (10am - 4pm Mon - Fri, 10am - 1pm Sat)