Fascinating Non Fiction
About our events
From the Bard to the Barrowlands, forensics to football – the best of the year’s non-fiction offers revolutions, revelations, and the intimate human stories behind the headlines.
How many FOI requests does it take to tell an accurate story? Andrew Lownie’s Entitled meticulously charts the rise and fall of the modern House of York, while Oliver Bullough explains how dirty money is buying up democracy.
Fiction writers turn to new forms as the legendary Anne Enright enriches us with her essays from across the decades, novelist Mark Haddon reveals the darkly hilarious story of his own childhood, and Louis de Bernières uses his diaries to reflect on his writing life.
Simon Kuper shares the thrill of being at every World Cup since 1990; Nandini Das presents Tudor England anew via its international connections; and in an age of impunity, when violent actions seemingly go unchecked, human rights barrister Philippe Sands reflects on a decade since the publication of East West Street.
Intimate events collide with public narratives as Darren McGarvey examines how personal stories are exploited for wider consumption and David Turner shares untold journeys of disability and resistance from history. Stephen McGinty recounts the devastating events at Dunblane Primary School and examines their legacy, while Baroness Brenda Hale unpacks how the law can be used to protect all of our rights.
List of Events
Sue Black: An Expert Witness
World-leading anatomist and forensic anthropologist Sue Black is no stranger to putting her reputation on the line in the name of justice.…
Louis de Bernières: Smelling of Rooks
Known for his tender and spirited writing, Louis de Bernières has built a reputation as one of the UK’s finest novelists. With his memoir,…
Mariana Mazzucato: The Common Good Economy
What if our economy served the whole planet, and not just the few? An acclaimed Professor of Economics and policy advisor, honoured by both…Hoda Barakat, Alycia Pirmohamed & Ece Temelkuran: Hope when Home is Lost
How does our understanding of the ideas of ‘home’ and ‘belonging’ shift in a war-torn and warming world? Today’s event features a powerful…
Fatima Bhutto & Ayşegül Savaş: Who Am I Now?
Some life events are so all-consuming that they melt you down and remake you anew. For the writer and columnist Fatima Bhutto, it was…
Sally Hayden & Roxani Krystalli: War and Peace
In This is Also a Love Story, Sally Hayden – Orwell Prize-winning journalist and author of My Fourth Time, We Drowned – offers a staggering…
Tareq Baconi & Saleem Haddad: Fire and Flood
Both Tareq Baconi’s Fire in Every Direction and Saleem Haddad’s Floodlines consider the generational impacts of family myths and global…
Saira Hameed & Madeleine Pownall: The Gender Health Gap
Women have long made significant contributions to our understanding of psychology and health, yet gender inequality in research and…
Xiao Hai: Adrift in the South
China's migrant workers’ literature movement has seen a boom in recent years, with fascinating autobiographical works produced by writers…
Tareq Baconi & Ilan Pappé: Restorative Justice
Despite the ‘ceasefire’, the war in the Palestinian Occupied Territories has continued with impunity. Palestinian activist, scholar, and…
Meera Syal: Vigilauntie
Sometimes an offhand comment can change your entire life. Just ask Meera Syal, who’s spent a lifetime refashioning random remarks – from…
Zakia Sewell & Rebecca Tamás: The Rituals We Share
Ancient traditions and folk culture can offer up unique ways to craft our own forms of meaning and connection. Writer and NTS Radio host…