THE FIRST NiddFest Literary Festival will be held from July 24 to 26 in and around the Nidderdale Area of Natural Beauty.

The festival’s agenda is to celebrate nature in writing, and it was founded by author Kit Peel, who grew up in the Yorkshire Dales.

It is described as boutique, family friendly and with a small but perfectly formed programme.

Highlights include an exclusive launch evening with festival patron Carol Ann Duffy and National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke, reading extracts of their work over a candlelit supper with musical accompaniment.

There will be headline talks from TV chef and author Valentine Warner, award-winning novelist Evie Wyld and children's book writers Piers Torday and Michelle Harrison.

Family-friendly events include art, crafts and den-building, along with foraging walks, river walks, a moorland safari and a birding excursion, all hosted by bestselling authors.

Keighley-based Forest School practitioner Annie Berrington will lead a den-building and marshmallow cooking session for five to 11-year-olds on July 25.

The Saturday will also feature face painting and bookmaking for young visitors and a talk by Waterston’s Children’s Prize-winning writer Michelle Harrison.

There will be a bird walk with leading naturalist Mark Cocker, who will later speak about his groundbreaking work Birds And People.

Walkers can take a Moor Safari to the furthest reaches of Nidderdale to discover how the unique landscape is managed for conservation.

The Sunday will feature the Writers Garden with Jackie Bennett, a foraging exhibition for wild food with Chris Bax, and a session entitled Nature’s Larder with Valentine Warner.

Visit niddfest.com for further information.