Jake Morris-Campbell: Between the Salt and the Ash

Part of Leeds Lit Fest 2026. See the full programme at https://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/

After inheriting the miner's safety lamp that belonged to his great-grandfather, Jake Morris-Campbell sets out on a pilgrimage across his homeland. Travelling from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to Durham Cathedral, he asks what new ways might be made through the old north.

Jake's journey along the 'Camino of the North' sees him explore the shifting nature of individual and regional identity across 1300 years of social change. Rejecting the damaging trope of 'left behind' communities, Jake uncovers neglected seams of culture and history, while offering a heartfelt celebration of the place he calls hyem.

Jake Morris-Campbell was born in South Shields in 1988. His collection of poetry 'Corrigenda for Costafine Town' (2021) was longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize. A BBC New Generation Thinker, he regularly appears on Radio 3. Recent commissions include writing for the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at The Laing Gallery, Newcastle and for the After Dark Festival at The Glasshouse, Gateshead. He is co-editor of 'Marratide: Selected Poems of William Martin' (2025) and currently works as Teaching Fellow in Creative Writing at Liverpool John Moores University.