Craig Bradley, Gaia Holmes and David Gill are the Festival's Bards On The Run. They take their poetry out to unlikely places in the hope they will produce some reaction from those they meet, "good or bad."

Craig says: "The worst thing is to be completely ignored. I'm sure we won't be. Whether it be two fingers or one finger. They can throw ashtrays at Dave if they want. It doesn't matter. You've got to be quick in Bradford."

Craig grabbing the attention of the audience...

David explains: "What we like doing is taking poetry to unusual places. We've done it in the past at Huddersfield Railway Station during the rush hour and we're planning to do something in maternity clinics."

Craig believes that poetry "goes down better in those places than in libraries, colleges and so-called traditional venues for poetry. The very word poetry puts people off."

On Saturday October 4th you can join the poets with your verse, or just yourselves, at 2pm at the Crescent Hotel in Ilkley. The Poetry Pub Crawl will then take in The Rose and Crown, Johnson's, The Station and The Midland. There may well be a chance to grab a pint along the way to help the poetry along.

David, Gaia and Craig on their way into the Shoulder of Mutton

David, Craig and Gaia are all published poets. David and Craig also lecture at Huddersfield University while Gaia is a student although she has been a lollypop lady along the way. If you don't fancy sampling their poetry amongst the beer fumes then you can go along to Ilkley Playhouse on Tuesday 14th October to to hear them read from their latest collections.

However, the poets feel they are more likely to get the most surprising reactions out on the street. Craig says: "There's always people who know a poem or a first line or a limerick. They throw them at you. Admittedly they might be drunk but they recite poems back to you... It's alive, it's there, it's bubbling under."

Well, join us on the what may be the first ever poetry pub crawl. It's poetry so the language is colourful and some people may found a few of the words offensive.

	At the Jacob's Well, Bradford (Full set - 6'31"/56k) David - Beer Gaia - Chef Craig - Dancin George' David - Growler (Pork pies) Gaia - Seasoned Craig - Tatties David - Great Pudding Race
	At the Shoulder of Mutton (Full set - 8'17"/56k) David - Stout Gaia - Living with a genius Craig - Albert David - Pigs Gaia - New Year's resolutions Craig - Bert David - Yorkshire terriers Mr Dobson from the Shoulder of Mutton - Young Lochinvar None of these poems must be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author.

At Ilkley 2003: Kate Adie, Donna Tartt, John Hegley, Jacquline Wilson, Liz Lochhead, Ray Mears, Assia Djebar, Alexei Sayle, Bernice Rubens, Michele Roberts, M.Y.Alam, Jimmy Greaves, Douglas Hurd, Bernard Ingham, John Cunliffe, Mark Billingham, Martin Bell, Melvyn Bragg, poetry, ghost stories, crime writing, walks and much, much more.

For more information go to the Festival website at:
www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk

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