NATURAL LIGHT and the Cheltenham Literature Festival have tickets to give away for two great events! Click the button to go to our tickets page.
The festival opens on Friday 3rd October when we are offering a free pair of tickets for The Great Outdoors Writers Will Atkins (The Moor) and John Lewis-Stempel (Meadowland) and natural navigator Tristan Gooley (The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs) discuss our relationship with the British countryside.
The festival opens on Friday 3rd October when we are offering a free pair of tickets for The Great Outdoors Writers Will Atkins (The Moor) and John Lewis-Stempel (Meadowland) and natural navigator Tristan Gooley (The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs) discuss our relationship with the British countryside.
Another free pair of tickets is on offer on Friday 10th October to hear top nature writers (l. to r. below) Simon Barnes (Ten Million Aliens), Richard Girling (The Hunt for the Golden Mole) and Richard Kerridge (Cold Blood) journey around the animal kingdom, covering biodiversity, conservation and the relationship between man and beast in Nature’s Wonders.
Cheltenham Literature Festival 3-12 October
For ten days every Autumn Cheltenham welcomes over 600 writers, actors, politicians, poets and leading opinion formers to help celebrate the joy of the written word. Established in 1949, The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is one of oldest literary events in the world.
“Nature has always been a boundless source of inspiration for writers over the centuries" says Cheltenham's Candice Pearson, "so of course we always programme a number of events about, or informed by, the natural world”.
“Nature has always been a boundless source of inspiration for writers over the centuries" says Cheltenham's Candice Pearson, "so of course we always programme a number of events about, or informed by, the natural world”.
Writers and nature lovers have so much in common: both are great observers of their surroundings
After just over a year, BBC Radio 4’s Tweet of the Day is already a national institution. “This year we’re delighted to be welcoming the BBC team behind Tweet of the Day to talk about their fantastic feature which gives listeners a daily dose of birdsong" says Candice. Series producer Brett Westwood and naturalist Stephen Moss explore changing lives of Britain’s birds – their songs, calls and habits. Regulars will know that NATURAL LIGHT has started Re:Tweet of the Day and we’ll be putting out a Re:Tweet Cheltenham Special on the 3rd.
I asked Candice why nature is such a strong theme at Cheltenham. “Writers and nature lovers have so much in common: both are great observers of their surroundings, perceiving and drawing meaning from the countless mini dramas that take place but go unnoticed by most”.
I asked Candice why nature is such a strong theme at Cheltenham. “Writers and nature lovers have so much in common: both are great observers of their surroundings, perceiving and drawing meaning from the countless mini dramas that take place but go unnoticed by most”.
The first afternoon - 3 October - sees no fewer than three nature-inspired events. After The Great Outdoors and Tweet of the Day Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist and photographer Wade Davis, author of Into the Silence shares his extraordinary and inspirational stories of exploration and discovery in the Amazon Rainforest in One River.
expect our view of the countryside to be challenged
As always, Cheltenham will be providing a platform for debate about tough issues of our time. “Our natural environment is of course always changing and so we’ll be looking to the future as we tackle big debates, such as how we’ll feed the world in the years ahead and what repercussions this will have on the countryside.” Artists Ackroyd & Harvey, Kathleen Soriano, former Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts and author Andrew Brown (Art & Ecology Now), explore how contemporary artists are responding to growing ecological threats in Can Artists Change the World? on 6 October while the next day James Lovelock talks to Crispin Tickell about his new book A Rough Ride to the Future.
On 11th we can expect our view of the countryside to be challenged when Guardian columnist George Monbiot gives a deeply personal talk about reconnecting with nature and challenging what he calls “ecological boredom”. Later in the day Monbiot will be joined by Nick Bostrom (Superintelligence) and Ian Goldin (The Butterfly Defect and Is the Planet Full?) to contemplate the global landscape in 2114.
On 11th we can expect our view of the countryside to be challenged when Guardian columnist George Monbiot gives a deeply personal talk about reconnecting with nature and challenging what he calls “ecological boredom”. Later in the day Monbiot will be joined by Nick Bostrom (Superintelligence) and Ian Goldin (The Butterfly Defect and Is the Planet Full?) to contemplate the global landscape in 2114.
Poet Pascale Petit, who was interviewed by NATURAL LIGHT a couple of weeks ago is joined by Ruth Padel on 7th so we can expect two very different, but highly imaginative, expressions of a shared passion for animals. Another NATURAL LIGHT favourite, composer Harrison Birtwistle, reveals the challenges, uncertainties and rewards which have shaped his life and work, in conversation with Fiona Maddocks.
For full details of the many other green bits in this year's Cheltenham Festival, from Amazonian river life to water voles, see our What's On page.
For full details of the many other green bits in this year's Cheltenham Festival, from Amazonian river life to water voles, see our What's On page.
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