1308 results

Olivia Laing: In Search of Eden When Olivia Laing began to restore a walled garden in Suffolk, she also embarked upon an imaginative discovery of the pleasures and possibilities of gardens through the ages. The Garden Against Time explores their significance in Western culture, from… Michael Ondaatje: Roots and Restlessness If you know Michael Ondaatje’s beautiful, lyrical fiction, you won't be surprised to learn that over 50 years ago the Booker Prize-winner of The English Patient began his career as a poet. Today, in a special digital event, Ondaatje shares his first… Lisa Jewell: Broadcasting Secrets None of This is True is the addictive new psychological thriller by internationally bestselling Lisa Jewell. It follows a podcaster whose life begins to unravel when a seemingly chance encounter leads to the discovery of dark secrets. Hear Jewell in… Andrew O'Hagan: How the Mighty Have Fallen A celebrated London professor falls from grace in Andrew O’Hagan’s new novel, Caledonian Road. Immersive and Dickensian in ambition, it’s a brilliant state-of-the-nation novel about privilege and what’s really going on behind high society’s façade. As… Tracy Chevalier & Harriet Constable: The Floating City What makes Venice such a rich subject for historical fiction? What untold stories does the city hold? Join Harriet Constable (with her debut The Instrumentalist) and Tracy Chevalier (with The Glassmaker, her 11th novel in a career including Girl with a… Out of This World with Michael Rosen Michael Rosen is one of the nation’s best loved voices in children’s literature. The former Children’s Laureate has written more than 150 books for all ages including the classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Come along for a fun-filled event of stories… On Making it Count: Oliver Burkeman Oliver Burkeman is the international bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks, which explored how we might step back from Being Busy as a core personality trait and make the most of our ridiculously short time on Earth. Discussing his latest work… Raja Shehadeh & Avi Shlaim: From Then to Now In Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew, New Historian Avi Shlaim critically reflects on the history of Zionism, Israel, and his own childhood after being forced to flee Baghdad, aged five. Also blending the personal and political, esteemed writer Raja… Kate Atkinson: Last Good Man Standing Twenty years after it began, this year Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories series of murder mysteries celebrates its sixth instalment with Death at the Sign of the Rook. Come and hear how another master of the form does it as Atkinson speaks with Alex Clark… The Front List: Matt Haig in conversation with Chitra Ramaswamy Through his memoir and fiction, Matt Haig has changed the way we talk about mental health. Matt presents his new novel, The Life Impossible, in this very special event as part of our key festival strand, How to Live a Meaningful Life. In conversation with… Madhumita Murgia & Georgina Voss: The Systems Which Govern Us Two fascinating technology writers reveal the disorientating extent to which we are already governed by AI and complex systems. Hear Financial Times AI editor Madhumita Murgia (author of Code Dependent) and artist and academic Georgina Voss (author of… James Crawford: Traces of the Past The search for hidden landscapes drives the work of Shetland-born author James Crawford, whose books have explored borders, lost buildings, and – in conjunction with his BBC series Scotland from the Sky – the views revealed by photography from the air… Polly Atkin: Interior Lives, Exterior Worlds In this digital event, Polly Atkin speaks with Caro Clarke about the glorious strengths and limitations of the body, mind, and our natural world. In her latest book Some of Us Just Fall, a lyrical blend of memoir, nature writing and pathography, Atkin… Jackie Kay: The People's Poet Beloved poet, novelist, playwright, and former Makar Jackie Kay joins us with her latest poetry collection, May Day. These profound and urgent poems draw on Kay’s decades of political activism, bringing influential figures from history to life, whilst… Edward Wong: China Under the Lens Diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times, Edward Wong covers foreign policy from Washington. Wong’s new account of the last century of change, The Edge of Empire, gives profound insight into a new authoritarian age transforming the world. Join him…