Bradford Libraries' Blog

Author: andreahardaker

  • Pitch Perfect:Mastering Your Manuscript Submission

    Ilkley Library, Monday 2nd March, 11am -1pm

    Ready to submit your manuscript but unsure where to start? Pitch Perfect demystifies the publishing process and teaches you how to create a submission package that stands out.

    This hands-on workshop by Isabelle Kenyon (CEO Fly on the Wall Press, Manchester) covers the current publishing landscape, helping you understand what agents and publishers are looking for today. You’ll learn to craft the three essential components of every successful submission: a compelling cover letter that introduces you and your work with impact, a clear synopsis that captures your story’s arc without losing its essence, and polished sample pages that hook readers from the first line.

    Whether you’re a debut author or refining your approach, you’ll leave with practical skills, industry insights, and the confidence to present your work professionally. The workshop concludes with a Q&A session where you can ask specific questions about your manuscript and submission strategy.

    About Isabelle Kenyon
    Isabelle Kenyon is the CEO of Manchester publishing house ‘Fly on the Wall Press’, and was named a Leader of the Year by the Bookseller in 2025. Founded in 2018, she has led Fly on the Wall Press to win Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards 2024 (North), achieving finalist status five times in the years 2021-2025. She is the MA Module Leader for ‘Publishing in the 21st Century’ at Arts University Bournemouth, and the author of psychological thriller ‘The Dark Within Them’, poetry collections including Growing Pains (Indigo Dreams) and one short story with Wild Pressed Books (‘The Town Talks’). She has had work published internationally in journals such as Ink, Sweat and Tears and newspapers such as The Somerville Times and The Bookseller. She previously coordinated the Northern Fiction Alliance and runs PR campaigns for writers and publishers under Kenyon Author Services (www.kenyonauthorservices.co.uk).

    https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bradfordlibraries/t-ejagmer

  • Choir at Ilkley Library

    It’s been a busy time at Bradford Libraries.

    Last week, we had rapping, live singing, songwriting, poetry, VR sessions, an open mic and finally a choir happening in our libraries.

    All of the events were tied into National Storytelling Week and linked to the reveal of our VR films from The Pulse of Bradford which went down a storm.

    Huge thanks to the National Literacy Trust in Bradford for the wonderful rap and poetry workshops they put on for young people.

    Today we want to share with you some of our highlights from the week.

    Here is a song written in the library, for the library and performed in the library.

    We’d love to have a permanent choir… let us know your thoughts. And do keep those book reviews coming…

  • Poet Alfie Wilson, on The Pulse of Bradford

    Next week our libraries will be thriving with events for National Storytelling Week, from a choir at Ilkley Library, to songwriting workshops at Keighley Library and a live performance from singer-songwriting Boo Hewerdine. There will be poetry workshops as well as an Open Mic on Feb 7th. Alongside these amazing events, our VR headsets will be touring, featuring films of young creatives from the district who were commissioned to write music and poetry about their city. Here, poet Alfie Wilson, tells us a little about his involvement.

    Bradford Libraries have multiple events running for young creatives across the Bradford District this February.

    On Saturday 7 February City Library is holding the celebration event
    for The Pulse, for an amazing project where 3 young poets and 2 young musicians had the opportunity to work with professional poet Gaia Holmes to create new VR poetry and music media that will be touring Keighley, Manningham, Shipley, Ilkley and City Libraries that
    week.
    “This project has given me so many different insights into the creative industries. Gaia was such an amazing mentor – she worked with each of us individually to augment our unique style and help us to build on this. So much effort has gone into this project with all the VR
    elements and creating the poetry and music to go along with it, I am so excited to finally share everything we have created!” – Alfie Wilson, Poet
    To celebrate the launch of this unprecedented project and kick off Storytelling Week 2026,the event will also include a poetry workshop run by the amazing Gaia Holmes from 2pm-4pm as well as an open mic during the launch event which is running 6pm-8pm (both at City Library) open to all young creatives with something they want to share.

    We chose the name Pulse because we want this project to showcase all young people’s voices, which we think are the heartbeat
    of Bradford – proudly the youngest city in the UK. So, if you or your friends have something to share, come along to Bradford City Library and get involved with all the exciting events we are running throughout the day.

  • Incredible teen book group at Bingley Library

    In November last year, I was invited to Bingley Library to meet with members of Bound by Books, a youth reading group. At the time, I was acting Development Officer for Young People. I had the most enchanting evening, listening to the group speak about the book they were reading, (Lying About Last Summer), and speaking with them about their plans, hopes and dreams. The group is run by Ehlissya Naqvi, Literacy Lead for Youth – (313 Foundation)
    Bound by Books . She is an incredible young woman!     This project is exactly what we want to encourage in our libraries.…especially during The National Year of Reading 2026.

    Ehlissya says…

    Bound by Books is a youth reading group for experienced readers aged 10 to 16, and we meet every Tuesday from 5:15pm to 6:15pm in Bingley Library.

    I’m the Literacy Lead for Youth at 313 Foundation, which is how the group first began. We have just finished our first six-week cycle, where we read The Hunger Games, and now we’re going to be reading Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman. We try to choose books that make us think deeply, we like mysteries, thrillers, dystopian stories and books where you need to notice clues and understand the bigger ideas behind a character’s decisions.

    I started Bound by Books because I wanted young people like me to have a place where reading feels exciting. A lot of people read online now, which is great, but reading a whole story together and talking about what it means feels different. In our group, everyone gets to have a voice, even if they are shy at first, and we do creative things like weekly reflection questions, short activities linked to sections of the book, and conversations about the themes. It has already helped people become more confident sharing their ideas, and it feels like a real community.

    One of the things that makes Bound by Books special is that we try to bring stories to life, not just read them. We have started connecting with other people and places because of the books we choose. For example, one of our members designed and made Bound by Books badges for the group, which helped us all feel proud of being part of something we built ourselves. We also go together to the Bingley Youth Café as a group, so we can share ideas with other organisations and be part of the wider community. We even met our local MP, Anna Dixon, who encouraged us to keep building confidence through reading and to keep developing our ideas.

    One of the most exciting things we’ve done is start a relationship with our local PCSO, Sofia Hussain, who visited our group at the library. She showed us her uniform and talked about teamwork, fairness and staying safe in the community. Because the genres we like often involve mysteries and investigation, we asked if we could learn more about real-life techniques that police use. Through that conversation, we have been able to approach Shipley Police Station to ask if we could visit and see how things work behind the scenes, like how officers look at evidence or use CCTV. It’s still being considered, but even being able to ask has made a big difference to us. We’ve also invited the police to join some of our creative sessions, where we explore fictional investigative techniques like fingerprinting, interview skills, analysing clues and building theories, because that connects directly with the kind of stories we enjoy reading.

    All of this has happened in only one cycle, which makes me really proud of everyone in the group. We started with a simple idea of reading together, and now we have built confidence, made new connections, shared creative skills, learned from each other and even reached places we never expected, like speaking with our MP and connecting with the police. None of this would have been possible without the support of the Bingley Library staff, who have been really kind and helpful from the beginning. They always encourage us, help with the space, and make us feel like the library belongs to young people too.

    If you would like to join the group, please contact Bingley Library.

  • Poet Gaia Holmes on connection between Sounds and Writing

    Halifax poet, Gaia Holmes was the poet in charge of our ‘Pulse of Bradford project’, encouraging young people aged 16+ to write about their experiences, hopes and thoughts about Bradford. The poems were later made into VR films thanks to The Space Arts and filmmakers Neon8 and will be touring our libraries as part of National Storytelling Week next month (Feb 2-8). The theme of National Storytelling Week is ‘Soundtrack Your Story’. Here, Gaia, who will be running a poetry workshop on Saturday Feb 7 and later hosting our Open Mic featuring The Pulse of Bradford, shares her thoughts on the connections between sound and writing.

    I remember listening to David Gray’s song ‘Babylon’, again and again and again, for a week after I split up with a long-term partner. I stayed in the double bed in the attic with the skylight window and a plague of moths and bald patches in the Turkish rug. My friend brought me mugs of tea and toast loaded with salted tomatoes cut into the shapes of stars. I didn’t want to eat but I forced myself to do so (but left the toast crusts), and after a few days there were fruit flies as well as moths. I remember watching tragic French films on a tiny black and white tv that had a fork for an arial.

    Run rabbit run. Gaudette. My Boomerang Won’t Come Back. I Want To Hold Your Hand: these were me and my brother’s records- our little 45s. These were our only records. My father had more and they were bigger and stranger. There was Finnegans Wake and Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, Schubert’s Trout Quintet, Allegri’s Miserere and Dylan Thomas. There was African Sanctus and Einstein On The Beach. On Sundays, after a can of barley wine or two, my father opened the window of his bedroom and played The Doors at full volume. It was very loud, but no one ever complained because he was the village’s only handy man and there was always an old lady that needed a drain unblocking or a lightbulb replacing.

    Nirvana’s ‘Smells like teen spirit’. reminds me of me and my friends as teenagers in the early 1990s dancing at The Zoo Bar in Halifax with its bad lighting and its sticky lino. We hopped and thudded on the dance floor trying to break our Docs in. We drank too much 20/20 and our vomit was often blue. I usually stunk of oranges because I doused my wrists with Neroli oil. Once, a young blonde pixie of a man sung “I’m in love with a girl who smells of oranges” into my ear.

    As I sit writing this up in my top floor flat on a grey winter afternoon, the wood pigeons in the garden are crooning and booming out their bassy five note tune. This sound has been an almost constant soundtrack to my life since I moved here 10 years ago. And I know that, if I ever move away, the sound of woodpigeons will bring back strong memories of this place- not just the noises it hosts but its scents and atmospheres and some of the particular emotions I have experienced whilst living here.

    The sound of rain on a skylight windows always reminds me of holidays on the East Coast in an ancient caravan. And with the sound comes it’s smell of damp crocheted blankets, Calor gas, tangy ocean air and seaweed.

    After my father died, I found it very difficult to listen to classical music for several years because the sense of grief that the tunes rekindled was almost unbearable.

    Music (and particular sounds) can do that. Music can be a time machine that takes you back to an era and a place you had forgotten. Music can be a spark plug that fires up dormant memories and makes stories.

    ‘Music evoked autobiographical memories’ is the way this sensation is described in psychology and what an excellent tool it is for writers!

    During my ‘Soundtrack Your Story’ workshop on the 7th of February, from 2pm at City Library, we’ll employ this ‘tool’, use sounds and music as a doorway into our real or imagined stories and think about the individual ‘soundtracks’ that run through our lives.

    And on that same evening, if you’re free, you can come along and see (and hear) the outcome of ‘The Pulse Of Bradford’, project. During workshops for the project, me and the participants explored the concepts of sound and silence. We imagined spending time in the world’s quietest room. We read poems about deafness and wind phones and anthems. We considered what the constant ‘pulse’ of the city sounded like to us, as individuals. We asked ourselves, ‘What is the soundtrack to my life’? You can hear some of the answers to those questions at our celebration event called ‘Speak or Sing Your Story’, which I will be hosting. The event will feature some of the ‘Pulse of Bradford’ writers and musicians and will take place on Saturday 7th February, 6pm at City Library (Bradford). There will also be an open mic. For more information, please follow the link below:

    https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bradfordlibraries/speak-or-sing-your-story-open-mic-and-celebration-the-pulse-of-bradford/2026-02-07/18:00/t-jxzmjvn

  • Sharena Lee Satti on Finding Poetry…

    Sharena Lee Satti is a  poet, mentor, and festival curator with over ten years of experience working across schools, community organisations, and cultural programmes. She has supported thousands of students and adults through creative mentoring, poetry workshops, and personal development sessions.

    Here she shares her journey…

    For the Voices still finding here’s…

    How poetry found me

    Poetry wasn’t a skill that was taught in a classroom; it was a feeling that came from within. Ignited like a superhero that helped me navigate through my childhood experiences. I believe poetry is something that exists in us all. It lives and breathes in everyday life; life is poetry, you just need to look up at the sky to see that. I found myself writing a lot as a young person; it became a cathartic tool for expressing my often unresolved and overwhelming feelings at that stage in my younger life. Writing poetry gave me a safe place to process my feelings, even if I didn’t understand them; they had a place on the page, somewhere I could park my emotions.

    Here is a snippet of Sharena’s Poem – to read the full piece – http://Poems | Sharena Lee Satti

    The Power of You

    If we don’t use our voices who will

    We have to be the noise of the movement, not the silence of the still

    Your voice is a powerful tool, it can be the spark of change

    Your vocal cords can IGNITE hope in someone’s day

    To feel heard, to feel seen, to know they are not alone

    The Journey of a Poet 

    Poetry gave me life, from leaving school at such a young age, my future felt like a storm, but I always had hope that I would eventually see the rainbow, and it took many sunsets but I eventually did.Through the journey of poetry I kept on writing, I really loved to write, my poems were messy, scribbles on the page, spelling mistakes but they were my words, my footprint in time, my feelings. Poetry helped shape my journey in ways I could have never imagined, but I believed my life was worth so much more, and I trusted in a path I believed in but couldn’t see. 

    Mentoring and Sharing Poetry 

    My journey with poetry has been anything but traditional. Leaving school at 12–13 with no formal education, I relied solely on lived experiences to shape my voice. Those experiences became the foundation for everything I do today, from teaching poetry to PhD students to performing at festivals across the UK and much more. 

    Poetry opened doors I never imagined. I’ve worked with women in my local community, helping them develop their writing skills and confidence, and celebrated their success as they became published poets. Along the way, I’ve published two collections of my own with the Verve Poetry Press, including featured work in a children’s collection with the renowned children’s publisher Big Cat Collins.  http://Poet writes about Bradford for new children’s poetry book | Bradford Telegraph and Argus

    Mentoring is at the heart of my work. I’m passionate about guiding others, whether it’s supporting young people on commissioned projects or teaching poetry to thousands of students nationwide. For me, it’s not just about writing; it’s about empowering voices, building confidence, and showing that creativity can transform lives. 

    From grassroots workshops to academic settings, I’ve seen firsthand how poetry connects people, sparks conversations, and inspires change. Every mentoring session is an opportunity to share knowledge, nurture talent, and encourage self-expression. Watching someone discover their voice and grow as a writer is the most rewarding part of what I do.

    Poetry gave me a path when I had none. Now, I’m committed to helping others find theirs. 

    Have a listen to the Leeds Light piece – featured in the National Poetry Centre, Sharena worked with the West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureates, to create a commissioned poetry piece which was then recorded and brought to life. You can see it here – (2) Post | LinkedIn 

  • Book Review from six-year-old Yaseen Mahmood

    We are thrilled to introduce you to our child reviewers. Our latest critic is Yaseen Mahmood, aged 6, who enjoys sports like football and badminton and is really good at maths!

    Title: Bunny Verses Monkey: Machine Mayhem

    Author: James Smart

    Genre: Fun Books/ Comic Book

    Summary: This book is an adventure about a robot learning about life from a group of woodland animals with special powers. Lots of things go wrong, it’s very funny and easy to read.  

    My Thoughts: This book was really funny. My Favourite characters where Monkey and Skunkey because they invent cool electronic gadgets like the “all seeing eye”. The chapters are quite short and the pictures are very bright. I would recommend this book to children aged between 6-9 years.  It was adventurous and funny.

    Search Results for The Bunny vs Monkey

  • A word from our Digital Poet, Pavan Singh

    Pav is another of our digital creators whose poems will be featured in a series of VR films touring our libraries next month.

    Here is what he had to say about the fantastic project at Bradford Libraries which saw him commissioned by The Space Arts.

    My name is Pavan Singh , I am 22 years old and I’m studying architecture at Leeds Beckett University, I have a five-year- old Belgian Malinois Shepherd called Hunter whom like I taking on walks to my local park and playing outside. In my spare time I like drawing and watching Anime shows and horror movies. 

    Why I took part in the project:

    I feel as if a lot people overlook Bradford for being a quiet town or unpleasant area. However, as a resident of Bradford I think that it is a really nice area with nice green spaces and many opportunities for young people like me and wanted to help change people’s minds about Bradford as a place and to aid in letting people’s voices be heard.

    Why I like poetry & music :

     I’ve always like writing and telling stories from a young age and like listening to Hip-Hop & rap music from artists such as Juice World, Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube. I also enjoy Punjabi songs from time to time as the artists are very passionate about their topics which often include lyrics about their hometowns , the ones they love and their upbringings which I believe is a great to express oneself as nothing can stand in your way when you put pen to paper, besides your imagination.

    Working with Gaia was a great experience as it allowed me to learn and grow as a writer and to fully explore my emotions and to put them through my poems as listening to different poets allowed me to see what poem verses can sound like without being so literal and can be really vivid and meaningful.

    I also enjoyed filming as it helped me gain confidence in doing something I haven’t done a lot of, when working with cameras and lighting visuals and which angles and poses are best.

    Bradford is one of the nine library services in England selected to participate in the groundbreaking Digital Spaces program. This innovative initiative in collaboration with Arts Council England, BFI, with National Lottery Funding, and The Space, is delivering an array of digital experiences in libraries throughout 2025, ranging from awe-inspiring VR showcases and hands-on workshops to funding opportunities for creating new digital content.

    To book our celebratory Open Mic where we will be showing Pav’s work on our VR headsets, click here and email Andrea. Hardaker@Bradford.gov.uk for a slot. https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bradfordlibraries/t-jxzmjvn

    Pav and the Pulse Team’s films can be viewed at the following dates and venues

  • A word from our Digital Musician, Anesu M, aged 16

    Writing a piece of music at just 16 is quite a feat. But Bradford’s Anesu M took it all in his stride!

    Anesu was one of our digital creators from The Pulse of Bradford whose work will feature in a Virtual Reality Film touring Bradford Libraries next month. We asked three young poets and two musicians to create some original work reflecting the ‘sound of their city’.

    Here is what Anesu had to say about the project;

    I’m Anesu M and I’m 16 years old.

    My piece, Outstretched Hand, was inspired by the beck near where I live and my church, SRM Church. I used the lydian mode to evoke the feeling of uncertain hope, woven into a 5/4 time signature.The work draws musical inspiration primarily from Mammal Hands’ Kandaiki along with jazz elements.

    I took part in this project because it was an unexpected opportunity for me to compose something creative for others to hear. It allowed me to be free on how I express through music on how I felt about living where I live.

    The creative process was both fun and frustrating at times, but definitely satisfying once completed. Apart from the nerves of being filmed solo, it was impressive seeing the gear being set up and learning how it worked.

    The films will be shown at the following libraries.

    Friday, Jan 30 – Tues Feb 3 – Manningham Library

    Wednesday Feb 4 – Keighley Library

    Thursday Feb 5 – Ilkley Library

    Friday Feb 6 – Shipley Library

    Saturday Feb 7 – City Library Celebratory Open Mic 6pm – all welcome. Email Andrea.Hardaker@Bradford.gov.uk for a slot.

    Bradford is one of the nine library services in England selected to participate in the groundbreaking Digital Spaces program. This innovative initiative in collaboration with Arts Council England, BFI, with National Lottery Funding, and The Space, is delivering an array of digital experiences in libraries throughout 2025, ranging from awe-inspiring VR showcases and hands-on workshops to funding opportunities for creating new digital content.

    The poems, which were written over a number of weeks, speak to the thousand voices of Bradford’ as well as the delights of Lister Park and the isolation of modern-day life. They feature alongside a live piano performance and a specially composed electronic music piece, which also respond to the theme.

  • Boy Queen Review by Jon Lewin

    Boy Queen by George Lester

    B195695690

    Today’s review is courtesy of Jon Lewin who is studying Maths, History and Music A Levels. Jon says he reads tons, such as historical adventure, Simon Scarrow and stuff.  He works on his grandma’s allotments to earn money which he spends on his guitar collection and going to concerts.

    I really enjoyed this book, much to my surprise as I don’t normally read LGBTQ books.

    The cover just caught my eye on the shelf at Bingley Library. However, this story is about kids about to leave school and head out into the big wide world of university, college or work and also how they cope with friendship issues and deal with parents who are afraid to let go of children who have become adults.

    There is a lot of underlying humour and the  personalities involved are empathetic and engaging.  I guess it’s all about self discovery and trusting in your real friends.

    I see the author has published a new book this year and hope the library will buy a copy!

    You can find Boy Queen here Search Results for Boy Queen

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