VIDEO: Vikings march through Harrogate

A troupe of Vikings lead a torch-lit procession through Harrogate to open the second Harrogate History Festival. Picture Bruce Rollinson

The procession walked through the town centre to mark the start of the second Harrogate History Festival.

Families joined the group, who made their way from Cheltenham Parade to Crescent Gardens via Montpellier Hill.

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Vikings in streets of Harrogate

Peter Snow: From swingometer to Harrogate History Festival

Giants of the genre include Peter Snow, Sandi Toksvig and Bernard Cornwell. Audiences are invited to explore with leading literary minds on some of the most gripping conflicts, personalities and epic tales in history.

Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe series, adapted to TV with Sean Bean, is travelling from the States for his UK appearance.

Other special guests include James Naughtie, Elizabeth Chadwick, Elizabeth Fremantle, broadcaster and former presenter of the Late Show Sarah Dunant, Guardian writer Charlotte Higgins, and the author and journalist Stephanie Merritt writing as S.J. Parris.

Dr Irving Finkel, the Assistant Keeper of the Ancient Mesopotamian script at the British Museum, will discuss his quest to reveal a radical interpretation of the Noah’s Ark myth. Former adventurer and English teacher, Conn Iggulden, whose worldwide smash, Dangerous Book for Boys, was a publishing phenomenon also headlines with his War of the Roses series.

The event builds on Harrogate’s pedigree for world-class literature festivals, brought by Harrogate International Festivals – the team behind the world-famous Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

Panels include ‘New Blood’ showcasing the best new historical writers, the role of the supernatural, and an exploration of Vikings in an age of blood and poetry.

Panel authors include Toby Clements, Robert Goddard and Michael Ridpath.

’50 Shades of Grail’ debunks the myths and legends that dominate history, and for Downton fans there is a fascinating discussion on social history in ‘If Walls Could Talk’ through the eyes of those who served, featuring Dr Pamela Cox, author and TV presenter of the BBC’s Shopgirls: The True Story of Life Behind the Counter.

Tickets are available at the box office on 01423 562303 or onlien at www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com