I WISH to put forward reasons why the funding for the Literature Festival should be maintained at the present level.

1. This event is important financially and culturally for both Bradford and Ilkley alike.

2. The festival hosts writers and poets of local, national and international standing, a rare treat for the provinces.

3. The festival provides a cultural resource for young and old residents as well as including events for schoolchildren locally and also from the inner city, an enormous consideration with regard to children from a compromised background.

4. Finally, let me point out that the Bronte sisters of Haworth, but a stone’s throw away from Bradford, and J B Priestley, the acclaimed author and playwright of Bradford, bear witness to the literary heritage of the district.

The more we can showcase the positive aspects of Bradford and Ilkley, the better.

Sylvia Mann

Ilkley