Yorkshire has many connections to some of the greatest authors, books and literature ever written and deserves to be celebrated this World Book Day.
Bronte Sisters
Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte were not only sisters but poets and writers whose novels, including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, have become worldwide literary classics.
The family has a strong association with the village of Haworth as they moved there in 1820 and lived at Haworth Parsonage for 41 years. Today, their home has been turned into the Bronte Parsonage Museum which has become a pilgrimage for thousands of visitors each year.
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE is arguably one of the most successful authors to come out of Yorkshire, as her debut novel A Woman of Substance is ranked in the top ten bestselling works of fiction of all time with more than 32 million copies sold. The TV adaptation of a Woman of Substance has primarily filmed in Yorkshire at locations such as Broughton Hall, Aysgarth Falls and Brimham Rocks.
She may be known worldwide as one of the worlds best selling novelists, but Barbara praises her home county of Yorkshire for having great influence on her writing.
Alan Bennett
You don’t get much more Yorkshire than Alan Bennett. Much of his work is based in his home county and is sprinkled with typical dry northern humour and observations. Talking Heads is a series of monologues, many of which are set in Leeds and Bradford, while The History Boys, another of his most famous works, is set in a fictional school in Sheffield.
Born in Armley, just outside the centre of Leeds, he has often spoke of his love of Yorkshire and a fondness for a classic tea and scone in Betty’s.
About World Book Day
Book lovers across 100 countries will be getting ready to celebrate World Book Day which is designated by UNESCO. Officially, World Book Day is April 23rd, but as that clashes with St George’s Day, it is celebrated on the first Thursday of March
The annual event brings together schools, communities and lovers of literature to celebrate their favourite authors, illustrations and of course books.
