Tania Harrison

If you want to get onto the bill of a summer festival there are few options better than convincing Latitude curator Tania Harrison that you are the next-best thing in comedy, theatre or poetry.

Harrison has worked for Festival Republic since the late ‘80s and in her time has watched some of the best comic talent pass through the festivals she curates, which include not only Latitude but Reading & Leeds and until recently The Big Chill.

From convincing Daniel Kitson to read short stories over a lake at midnight to finding Ross Noble running across the festival site leading a conga line to a food stall, the memories conjured up by the melting pot of artistic talent is one of the highlights of the comedy calendar.

Harrison’s influence isn’t confined to her own festivals however. In 2011 she took on the role of chair of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, and so spent her time visiting pretty much every eligible Fringe show there was while co-ordinating the Reading & Leeds stages.