Welcome to Bradford

Bradford itself is famous as the birthplace of the composer Delius, the author and playwright J.B. Priestley, the novelist John Braine (one of the 1950s "angry young men", and author of "Room at the Top"), the astrophysicist and cosmologist Sir Fred Hoyle (who was born in the outlying village of Gilstead and who spent his early years in Bingley) the artist David Hockney (whose works are included in the 1853 Gallery in Saltaire, and (of course) the Bronte sisters, (who were born at what is now known as the Bronte Birthplace in the village of Thornton - now a suburb of the city to the west) before moving on to live at Haworth (where they grew up and wrote their classic novels - including "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre"). Having such a fine cultural heritage the city attracts attention at the international level, and recently paid host to the first Bradford Literature Festival (which it is hoped will become an annual event).