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The Big Tasty Read

Celebrating food and words in Bradford during 2025!

AboutEvents

In collaboration with BBC Arts and The Reading Agency, we joined a new national celebration of reading in 2025.

Whisks at the ready, books in hand! During Bradford 2025 we were thrilled to launch The Big Tasty Read — a brand-new nationwide campaign blending the joy of reading with the love of food.

Bradford Libraries invited people across the district to enjoy a delicious new programme of free events in September 2025 as part of The Big Tasty Read – a national celebration of reading inspired by the joy of food.

The Big Tasty Read was part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and was run in partnership with The Reading Agency and BBC Arts. It used the universal love of food to bring people together and encourage more adults to enjoy reading.

Throughout September, libraries across Bradford hosted a tasty mix of events including author talks, writing workshops, food-themed crafts, film screenings, and cooking sessions. All events were free and open to everyone.

We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Big Tasty Read to celebrate the powerful connections between storytelling and food. Bradford has a rich literary history with an equally rich food experience, these worlds are brought together in this campaign, highlighting how our stories are so often infused with the flavours of home, culture, and community, no matter who we are.
Shanaz Gulzar Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture

Events

Sunset evening skyline of a fort above a village surrounded by trees
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

6 Jul 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: A Culinary Journey through al-Andalus

Fiona Dunlop & Daniel L. Newman

This event gave you an insight into the medieval food culture across al-Andalus and North Africa.

Bradford City Square's Mirror Pool and City Hall at night lit up
PAST Part of Bradford Literature Festival 2025

5 Jul 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: Bradford, Food & Writing – A Taste from Home

Habiba Desai & Shahnaz Ahsan

We discussed how food writing can connect culture and cuisine.

A man and a young woman holidng lots of loafs of bread in their arms, on the front cover of a book titled, Breadsong
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

5 Jul 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: Breaking Bread with Kitty and Al Tait

Kitty & Al Tait

We discovered the life-changing power of baking and bread.

A metal fork stabbed into the side of the earth
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

28 Jun 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: Feeding the Future

Stuart Gillespie

This event provided insightful discussion on sustainable food systems.

Grace Dent and Nisha Katona posing
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

30 Jun 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: Grace Dent & Nisha Katona in Conversation

Grace Dent & Nisha Katona

You joined us for the launch of the brand-new nationwide reading campaign.

The front cover of a book titled, 'TAKEAWAY', with a mum and her young daughter stood infront of a shop as the front image
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

29 Jun 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: Memoirs of Food, with Angela Hui the & Candice Chun

Angela Hui & Candice Chung

We enjoyed a moving exploration of food, memory and identity.

Two ladies smiling and posing, one has brown curly hair and the other has curly ginger hair.
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

6 Jul 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: Preserving Culture and Memory with Food

Samantha Ellis & Bee Wilson

A dialogue between Samantha Ellis and Bee Wilson.

A blue book titled, The Language of Food
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

6 Jul 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: Recipe for Fiction – The Language of Food with Annabel Abbs

Annabel Abbs

We had a thought-provoking celebration of words and nourishment.

A lady smiling holding a pomegranate
PAST Part of The Big Tasty Read

5 Jul 2025

Bradford Literature Festival: The Food Our Grandmothers Knew

Radhika Howarth

We look at how food and culture gets passed down through generations.

Highlights included:

  • Writing workshops led by local writers and poets including Nabeela Ahmed, Rachel Bower, Gill Connors, Antony Dunn, Carrie Etter and Mohamed Saloo.
  • Special readings including Rachel Bower and Antony Dunn with Beehive Poets at City Library, Olivia Potts at Shipley Library, and Three Little Birds Bakery sharing their story at Keighley Library.
  • Film screenings at Darley Street Market: Chocolat and A Thousand Foot Journey.
  • Creative food-themed activities including cupcake decorating, recipe journaling, herbal mandalas, roti making, a Big Tasty Bake Off, and a Global Food and Heritage Tour.
  • Recipe Books created by Stand and Be Counted Theatre Company, shared at events including a special day at Darley Street Market with American poet Carrie Etter.

 

Supported by the BBC, City of Bradford Council and Bradford Literature Festival.