Festival returns to celebrate the remarkable life of Anne Lister
The Anne Lister Birthday Festival is returning for 2024 to celebrate and remember the life and legacy of Shibden Hall’s most famous resident.
Landowner, entrepreneur, mountaineer, scholar, traveller, and lesbian, Anne Lister was born in Halifax on April, 3 1791.
To celebrate what would have been her 233rd birthday, Calderdale Council is supporting a packed programme of events and activities from April 1 to 8.
The eight-day-long festival includes events organised by many partners, bringing Anne’s story to life once more.
You can walk in Anne’s footsteps, visiting her family home of Shibden Hall – including a rare opportunity to see the Library Tower, or take part in one of the many walks or talks taking place during the event.
The varied programme also includes markets; exhibitions (including the chance to seecostumesfromGentleman Jack at Bankfield Museum); creative writing, dance and craft workshops; bus tours and the opportunity to visit Halifax Town Hall and the Calderdale Archives at the Halifax Central Library, where Anne’s diaries can be seen up close.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now, with some events already sold out or with limited availability.
Many of the events are free, but people are still encouraged to book a place to guarantee access.
For the full programme and for more information visit www.annelisterofhalifax. co.uk
The council works closely with the wider Anne Lister community, and the festival also incorporates the Anne Lister Birthday Week (ALBW), and the Anne Lister Society’s academic conference.
The ALBW is a community-led series of events which started life in 2019 and is the brainchild of US-based Pat Esgate, who discovered Anne Lister’s story through Sally Wainwright’s BBC/HBO series, Gentleman Jack.
The Anne Lister Society aims to foster knowledge of Lister’s extraordinary life and
Suranne Jones with the Anne Lister statue by sculpture Diane Lawrenson.
writings and to interpret her legacy and their conference will once again welcome academics from across the world to Calderdale.
Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for towns, tourism and voluntary sector, Coun Sarah Courtney, said: “The Anne Lister Birthday
Festival is back for 2024 and it’s already proving as popular as ever, both locally and further afield. In previous years, the festival has welcomed visitors from as far away as America and Australia, demonstrating the worldwide appeal of Anne Lister.”
Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for public services and communities, Coun Jenny Lynn, said: “As we celebrate LGBT+ History Month, we’re proudly promoting this year’s Anne Lister Birthday Festival. Her impact on LGBTQ+ history cannot be understated, and it’s wonderful that so many people have now discovered her story and her legacy, thanks in no small part to Sally Wainwright’s Gentleman Jack TV series.
“We’re delighted to be working with local organisations and the passionate and dedicated Anne Lister community to put together the huge programme of events for this year’s festival.
“The festival will also build up to the official launch of our Year of Culture, which will continue to develop the borough’sinternationalprofileas a place for culture, heritage, and diversity.”