Tickets Oxford Events

Music's Jubilee

Corona Strings with David Watkins, harp, conductor Janet Lincé.
Oxfordshire’s new professional orchestra performs a concert of English string and harp music to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond jubilee. Programme includes Elgar Serenade and Sospiri, Vaughan Williams Dives and Lazarus, Holst St Paul’s Suite, Britten Simple Symphony, Warlock Capriol Suite.

Warm church with good facilities and easy parking nearby makes this a great venue.

Concerto Competition Final

Oxford Philomusica and the Oxfordshire County Music Service are proud to present their first Concerto Competition, which aims to showcase and reward the young musical talent that exists in Oxfordshire. In this concert, the culmination of the competition, three talented finalists will each perform a concerto of their choice with Oxford Philomusica, in front of a panel of distinguished adjudicators who will announce the winner the same evening.

TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
Savitri Grier - violin

KHACHATURIAN Violin Concerto in D minor
Emmanuel Bach - violin

SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Osman Tack - piano

Oxford Philomusica
Chris de Souza – presenter
John Traill – conductor

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Allegri String Quartet

Allegri String Quartet
Ofer Falk – violin
Rafael Todes – violin
Dorothea Vogel – viola
Vanessa Lucas Smith – cello

Beethoven String Quartet op.18 no.5
Beethoven String Quartet op.130

The Oxford Coffee Concerts began in 1986 and have since established themselves as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country. The concerts are held nearly every Sunday morning throughout the year in the stunning setting of the Holywell Music Room, with performances by the best musicians and ensembles from this country and abroad.
The Oxford Coffee Concerts have been described by The Independent as one of the top ten things to do in Oxford, and they are recognised as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country.

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

Robin Michael (cello) and Daniel Tong (piano) 1

Beethoven Cello Sonatas
F major op. 5 no. 1
A major, op. 69

Broadcaster Richard Wigmore, pianist Daniel Tong and cellist Robin Michael present a two-day study event entitled ‘Beethoven Unravelled’. After exploring Beethoven’s cello sonatas during the day, they will finish with a concert performance each evening.

Adderbury Ensemble Winter Series 2012

Thursday 26 January
David Lepage – Director/Solo Violin
Ian Wilson – Recorder

Bach Violin Concerto in D minor
Bach Brandenburg Concerto no 3
Vivaldi Recorder Concerto
Purcell Fantasia
Corelli Concerto Grosso

Thursday 9 February
David Lepage – Director/Solo Violin
Alun Darbyshire – Oboe

Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusic
Vaughan Williams – Oboe Concerto
Dvorak Serenade for Strings

Thursday 8 March
Soloist – Viv Maclean – Piano
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1
Mendelssohn String Symphony
Holst St Paul’s Suite
Britten Simple Symphony

Thursday 12 April
Lucy Wakeford – Harp
Julian Sperry – Flute

Mozart Symphony No 40
Haydn Symphony No 44
Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Robin Michael (cello) and Daniel Tong (piano) 2

Beethoven Cello Sonatas
G minor, Op. 5 no. 2
C major, Op. 102 no. 1
D major, Op. 102 no. 2

Broadcaster Richard Wigmore, pianist Daniel Tong and cellist Robin Michael present a two-day study event entitled ‘Beethoven Unravelled’. After exploring Beethoven’s cello sonatas during the day, they will finish with a concert performance each evening.

Beethoven String Quartet Series Kidlington

Friday February 10
Beethoven String Quartets op 130, op 18 no 4, op59 no 2

Friday March 2
Beethoven String Quartets op 131, op 18 no 2, op 59 no 1

Thursday May 3
Beethoven String Quartets op 132, op 18 no 1, op 95

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Mark Padmore tenor & Paul Lewis piano

Mark Padmore tenor
Paul Lewis piano

Schubert Die Winterreise

Die Winterreise is widely regarded as one of the pinnacles of all Romantic art. We follow the disillusioned lover through a winter landscape to a haunting presumed end, reliving with him moments of joy, hope and disappointment.

Mark Padmore and Paul Lewis are two of the finest musicians in the world. Expect an exceptional evening of music and book early.

For patrons who are wheelchair users or limited mobility Music at Oxford offers 50% discount for themselves and
a companion (Sheldonian Theatre only). Available only through Music at Oxford 01865 244806

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Simon Bookish + Leafcutter John

Simon Bookish + Leafcutter John perform a special set of strange and delicate new versions of the Bookish back catalogue with live electronics.

Simon Bookish is Leo Chadburn, a vocalist and composer whose music strays between pop and something more experimental. "[Simon Bookish’s] recordings abound in little innovations, both sonic and lyrical." Pitchfork

Leafcutter John creates beautifully delicate electronica, layering sounds, acoustic instruments and touching vocals. He is also a member of Polar Bear. “[Leafcutter John is] one of the UK’s most fearlessly inventive electronicists” Time Out London

Stuart Chalmers supports with glitchy, low-fi electronica created using acoustic samples, cassette tape technology and loop pedals.

Gina McCormack & Nigel Clayton

Gina Mcormack – violin
Nigel Clayton – piano

Debussy Sonata
Chausson Poem
Brahms Sonata in D minor op.108

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

The Gould Piano Trio with Robert Plane (clarinet)

Selected as ‘British Stars’ in 1998, the trio has become one of the finest chamber ensembles. The breadth and interest of their programme is reflected in their impressive discography.

The trio strive to engage new audiences through outreach programmes, often working with school children.

Haydn: Piano Trio in C major Hob.XV.21
Ireland: Trio for clarinet, cello and piano
Milhaud: Suite for violin, for clarinet and piano Opus 157b
Dvořák: Piano Trio no 4 in E minor opus 90 (Dumky)

Note: All those under the age of 25 will be admitted free of charge at the door

Salute to Love

Massenet – Meditation from Thaïs
Pachelbel – Canon
Barber – Adagio
Hess – Ladies in Lavender
Roberts – Elegy
Warlock – Capriol Suite
Morricone – Cinema Paradiso
Elgar – Salut d'Amour

Roland Roberts - Director/Violin

“This highly proficient orchestra created plenty of sunshine with a bright, joyous programme that positively shimmered from start to finish.” - Oxford Times

Note earlier starting time to allow for romantic dinners!

Alfred Brendel Lecture Events (master class)

Legendary pianist Alfred Brendel returns in a pair of extraordinary lecture events investigating and interpreting classical music. Since his retirement from performance some years ago, this is an increasingly rare chance to experience this unique musician playing in public. We are told this will be the last lecture series at which he plays so please don’t miss out.

On February 15th he will host a master class at the Holywell Music Room. Lasting around two and a half hours he will work with a number of the University’s finest piano students to hone their technique and allow some insight into the talents of one of the world’s most celebrated players. Exact repertoire and participating students are not yet known but will be posted on our website as soon as possible.

Presented in association with the University of Oxford Faculty of Music, these evenings are sure to be extremely popular so please do book early to avoid disappointment.

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Boyz Dancin' Dance Workshop

Company Chameleon Dance Theatre return to Oxford to kick off the dance festival with a male-only dance workshop. This is a fantastic opportunity for male dancers aged 14 years upwards to work alongside Anthony
Missen and Kevin Turner to create a new dance piece to be performed at the Festival Launch on 18th February.

Joanna MacGregor (piano)

Comprising over two hours of music with two intervals, this is a unique opportunity to hear all of Chopin’s Mazurkas played by one of the UK’s finest pianists in the JdP’s intimate setting.

Oxford Trobadors Winter Serenade

OXFORD TROBADORS, a magical Winter Serenade of songs and instrumental music from the Troubadours of southern France and a variety of English songs. The Oxford Trobadors return to The Holywell Music Room with another 'truly magnificent concert', a 'very original event', 'Magnificent!' (Oxford Times).
The last performance was a sell-out so book early. The OXFORD TROBADORS sing in the language of the
Troubadours, Occitan, but you will easily follow the songs we sing. Like Italian, it is a highly musical language with a
lilt and character all of its own. Performers include Chris Britton (flute), Keith Fairbairn (percussion), Valerie Findlay (cello),
Bryan Vaughan (guitar), with vocals by Ray and Denis Noble.

Piano Recital by Alexander Ardakov

A Piano Recital by the Russian Pianist, Alexander Ardakov featuring works by Rachmaninov, Schumann and Liszt .
Alexander Ardakov is a graduate of the Moscow Conservatoire and a prize winner at the Viotti International competition
in Italy. Recent recitals include the Bosendorfer Hall in Vienna, at St John Smith's Square in London, at the Carnegie Hall
in New York, in the Casteig Music Centre in Munich, in the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford and a much acclaimed sold-out
recital in the Wigmore Hall in January 2007. He has performed and held Master classes in France, Germany, USA,
Poland, Russia and Denmark.

This concert is in aid of Open Doors - the Wesley Memorial Church redevelopment project

Intergenerational Dance Day

From 5 years to 105 years! Bridging the gap between young and old, the day will include two dance workshops led by Crossover Intergenerational Dance Company. You will have the option to perform alongside the
company when it presents the premiere of its latest work in the evening. There will be information on hand to help you find the dance class for you! Pairs can be parent/carer & child or two adults, but there must be a 10
year + age difference.

Workshop A - Adults & Children 5-10yrs. 10am-12pm

Workshop B - Adults & Children 11yrs and over. 1pm-3pm

Performance at 7pm

Tickets per pair: Workshop plus performance £12, £10 discounts
Tickets per pair: Workshop only £8, £6 discounts
Performance only £6, £4 discounts

To Book call 01865 305 305

Tamsin Waley-Cohen & Stefano Greco

Tamsin Waley- Cohen – violin
Stefano Greco – piano

Elgar Violin Sonata
Resphigi Violin Sonata
Sibelius 5 Pieces

The Oxford Coffee Concerts began in 1986 and have since established themselves as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country. The concerts are held nearly every Sunday morning throughout the year in the stunning setting of the Holywell Music Room, with performances by the best musicians and ensembles from this country and abroad.
The Oxford Coffee Concerts have been described by The Independent as one of the top ten things to do in Oxford, and they are recognised as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country.

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

Lang Lang and Oxford Philomusica (7pm)

This concert is now sold out. For returns only please contact Oxford Philomusica directly on 01865 980 980 to be added to the waiting list.

Oxford Philomusica is delighted to welcome Lang Lang to Oxford to perform Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto.
The concert will also include Dvorak's justly celebrated New World Symphony, crammed full of memorable tunes,
driven by pulsating rhythms and colourful orchestrations.

The legendary Sir Michael Parkinson will delve into Lang Lang's world in a pre-concert interview, which is open only to
ticket holders for the evening's concert.

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 in E minor, 'From the New World'
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor

Lang Lang piano
Marios Papadopoulos conductor

Please note: the pre-concert interview begins at 5.30pm and will finish at approximately 6.15pm.
The concert begins at 7pm and will finish at approximately 9pm.

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Masterclass with Lang Lang

A rare opportunity to witness a masterclass by Lang Lang- one of classical music’s biggest stars.

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Oxford Philomusica Chamber Series February

Schubert
String Quintet in C major, D. 956

Brahms
String Sextet No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 18

Soloists of Oxford Philomusica

Oxford Philomusica’s first dedicated series of chamber music concerts will take the form of early evening hour-long concerts at Oxford’s Maison Française, featuring the distinguished principal players of the Orchestra: the Soloists of Oxford Philomusica.

Tickets £18 to include a glass of wine

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Alfred Brendel Lecture Events (lecture)

February 24th sees us in the Sheldonian as he explores Liszt’s legacy at the close of his bicentenary. In ‘Genius of Expression’ Mr Brendel will offer his personal view of the composer celebrated by his contemporaries as perhaps the greatest pianist of his time. This lecture will include complete performances of several Liszt pieces.

Illustrating his thoughts at the piano these events are a very rare opportunity to hear a musical legend’s own view of classical music, its role in his life, and ours.

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Sensual Africa

Sensual Africa is a choreographic work of art, dexterously crafted following Bawren Tavaziva’s inspirational trip to one of Africa’s most beautiful and compact countries, Malawi. Malawi…untouched, pure, raw, natural, unearthed, mysterious, rich in culture and life. In a nutshell…SENSUAL. Voyage with Bawren Tavaziva and his company of outstanding dancers as they salute and pay homage to the fascinating Tumbuka and Chewa Tribes. Be seduced as Tavaziva Dance injects their own interpretation of the complexities of these intriguing tribes’ movements and music and the inimitability of the rituals that boys and girls go through to become men and women.

Lore Lixenberg and Gregory Rose

"Lixenberg is not just a good singer, she is a deeply theatrical performer, who constantly transgressed the boundaries of musical performance, inspired by Cage, with ease and astonishing results”. S & H Review, Jean Martin, 2004

Do not miss this incredible opportunity to hear renowned performers of contemporary music, Lore Lixenberg and Gregory Rose perform Cage’s The Songbooks I at the JdP.

Christian Fellner Concert

Christian Fellner was born in London and studied singing at Trinity College of Music and privately in Moscow. He has performed internationally as a soloist giving concerts and recitals in Russia, Israel, Austria and Greece.

Neus Guiu Ritort was born in Tarragona, Catalonia and studied at the Conservatory of Music in Barcelona and the Rotterdam Conservatory before coming to London to study accompaniment at the Royal College of Music. She has performed as both soloist and accompanist in Spain, Germany, Holland and the UK.

Christian and Neus have worked together since 2008. Their repertoire includes early classical songs by Arne and Haydn, cycles by Shostakovich and Sviridov, and Schubert’s Winterreise.

Bach - St John Passion

The Choir of The Queen's College, one of the leading mixed-voice collegiate choirs in the UK, presents Bach's dramatic masterpiece, with the outstanding soloists Benjamin Hulett and Giles Underwood, and a professional period-instrumental
ensemble of some of the country's finest players.

'This was a glorious performance, in which each number felt like the rediscovery of a much-treasured possession'
(Oxford Times, December 2011)

Choir of The Queens College, Oxford
Owen Rees - Director
Benjamin Hulett - Evangelist
Giles Underwood - Christ

Sensual Africa

Sambasunda Quintet

Exuding a vivid energy, Sambasunda fuse urban rhythms with the ancient instruments and tones of the East Asian Gamelan instruments. With drumming that builds to carnival proportions and borrows from modern dance beats, their sound is uniquely uplifting. Creating a new kind of Gamelan orchestra, they use the mellifluous and soulful kacapi (a boat-shaped zither), violin, suling (a bamboo flute) and kendang drums. Outstanding singer and dancer Rita Tila takes centre stage for this incredible fusion of the ancient and modern.

“While their energy, youthfulness and showmanship have made a big impression on live audiences, it’s their mixture of discipline and delicacy that impresses on this mesmeric debut.” Daily Telegraph

Cushion Concert - Trombone

45 minute informal concert with Rozzy especially devised for children. Fun for all the family. Bring your own cushion! Numbers are limited for each concert, so please book in advance for your preferred time.

9.30am, 10.30am & 3pm for Under 5's only
11.30am for Over 5's only

Cushion Concert - Trombone

Adderbury Ensemble

Adderbury Ensemble
David Lepage – violin
Catherine Leech – violin
Christopher Windass – viola
Katherine Sharman – cello
With
Fiona Cross – clarinet
Brahms Clarinet Quintet

The Oxford Coffee Concerts began in 1986 and have since established themselves as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country. The concerts are held nearly every Sunday morning throughout the year in the stunning setting of the Holywell Music Room, with performances by the best musicians and ensembles from this country and abroad.
The Oxford Coffee Concerts have been described by The Independent as one of the top ten things to do in Oxford, and they are recognised as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country.

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

Cushion Concert - Trombone

Dance-A-Thon

Sunday 26th February 2012 at Pegasus Theatre (Dance Studio):
2pm Butoh. Please wear clothes you are comfortable and free to move in, e.g jogging trousers and top. We will work in barefoot or socks.
3pm Masala Bhangra.exercise dance routine that modernizes the high energy folk dance of Bhangra by blending traditional Bhangra dance steps and Bollywood moves. Wear loose comfortable clothing, trainers and bring a drink.
4pm Contemporary Dance is a form of theatrical dance. Come prepared to dance in bare feet and wear loose and comfortable tops and leggings.

Sunday 11th March 2012 at Oxford Playhouse Top Room:
1pm Ceroc is an easy and hugely fun partner dance form. In this beginners workshop you will learn 3 or 4 beginners moves put together into a routine. Please wear comfortable casual clothing with smooth soled shoes – i.e not trainers
2pm Lindy Hop is a fun partner dance which originated in the 1930’s. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Any shoes but preferably not high heels.
3pm Kathak is a dramatic dance form with elaborate use of hand gestures, eye and body movements.
4pm Salsa. Experienced professional teachers Lisa and Mark will get you into the Latin Spirit.

Sunday 18th March 2012 at Pegasus Theatre (Dance Studio)
2pm Tap Rhythm. Come along and try some tap dancing. Tap shoes not essential. Any shoes or boots but no high heels.
3pm Street Dance class will be a fun and energetic class where you will cover some of the foundations of Hip Hop. Please wear trainers and comfortable clothing.
4pm Breakdance workshop taught by Marcus Maurice of flaw r tists. Class will entail an introduction to breakdance with some simple steps to show off to your friends and family.

Dance-A-Thon

Cushion Concert - Trombone

Dance-A-Thon

Andy Eastwood - Return of the Uke

At 21 Andy Eastwood was Oxford's first ever musician to gain a degree by playing the Ukulele.
It was a momentous coup for that much maligned instrument - often dismissed as a toy - to achieve such recognition,
but in Andy's hands it became a thing of beauty!

Andy has spent the ensuing decade traveliing the world with his upbeat blend of catchy comic songs and dazzling instrumental artistry. With Ukulele, Banjo, Guitar and violin, he has entertained millions, but he has never returned to the dreaming spires... until now!

Join Andy for a unique evening of musical fun. It may be your only chance ever to hear "When Im Cleaning Windows'" played in an 18th Century concert room. Not to mention a 'Uke' arrangement of the William Tell Overture...

Dance Taster Workshop

Monday 27th February 2012 - Flamenco
Enjoy a 60 minute taster workshop of flamenco dance, prior to Flamenco Intimo at Pegasus Theatre on Saturday. An introduction to Flamenco dance including rhythmic structures and general technique. Come along and experience the fun and the rhythm of Flamenco dancing!
Wear sturdy shoes with a strong heel and comfy clothes to move in.

Monday 19th March 2012 - Hip Hop
Hip hop dancing is an exciting and vibrant workshop. Starting with a warm up to the latest hip hop music you will have an introduction to Hip hop moves, before linking them together to make an exciting new routine. Please wear loose comfortable tracksuit bottoms, t.shirt or top and trainers.

Getting Away With It

A sketch show written and performed by Helen Mosby and Alison Gomm

Getting Away With It

A sketch show written and performed by Helen Mosby and Alison Gomm

Craig Ogden and Oxford Philomusica

Berlioz
Rêvérie et caprice, Op. 8

Falla
Ballet: El amor brujo

Rodrigo
Concierto de Aranjuez

Mozart
Symphony No. 35 in D major, 'Haffner'

Craig Ogden guitar
Daniel Cohen conductor

Conductor Daniel Cohen makes his Philomusica debut in an intriguingly eclectic programme. First Berlioz, then a wonderfully colourful Spanish pairing of Falla and Rodrigo - when the brilliant young guitarist Craig Ogden takes centre stage with the evocative Concierto de Aranjuez - concluding with Mozart’s affable ‘Haffner’.

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Kathakbox

The Sonia Sabri Company celebrate the unique, diverse energy of modern Britain by bringing together Indian Kathak dance’s grace and vigour with the rhythms & rhymes of Hip Hop culture. Complex classical rhythms converse with beatbox while the verbal dexterity of Kathak rap (Kavitt) sets layers on urban poetry. Kathakbox does not ‘box in’ these genres to a particular time or place, but uncovers the raw spirit and heartbeat of each art form as it shivers between cultures. This bold, heart-pounding production features Sonia Sabri and three dancers including dynamic b-boy Nathan Geering, tabla maestro Sarvar Sabri, acclaimed spoken word artist & vocalist Marcina Arnold and beatboxer Shan Bansil.

Viktoria Mullova violin & Kristian Bezuidenhout piano

Viktoria Mullova violin & Kristian Bezuidenhout piano

Beethoven violin Sonata in A minor, Op.23
Beethoven violin Sonata in E flat major, No.3, Op.12
Beethoven Sonata in A minor, Op.47 “Kreutzer”

A great musical summit, the Beethoven violin sonatas are performed here by two of the finest players in the world. Often cited as the greatest of all violin sonatas, the glorious Kreutzer sonata is coupled with his third violin sonata, a delightfully witty and robust work from early in his career. It’s difficult to choose from the vast number of ecstatic press comments, but the Chicago Tribune touchingly said ‘Mullova may be the most elegant, refined and sweetly expressive violinist on the planet.’

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Beethoven String Quartet Series Kidlington

Friday February 10
Beethoven String Quartets op 130, op 18 no 4, op59 no 2

Friday March 2
Beethoven String Quartets op 131, op 18 no 2, op 59 no 1

Thursday May 3
Beethoven String Quartets op 132, op 18 no 1, op 95

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Flamenco Intimo

Amarita Vargas and guests present an evening of intimate, pure flamenco packed with the energy and expression of the south of Spain. Following her residency in Jerez de la Frontera last year Amarita returns with new choreographies which evoke a range of feeling from the fiery and joyful to the dark and sombre. Flamenco celebrates the intensity of the moment, and allows us to experience the totality of human experience with all its brilliance and shadows.

The Speech Project

Using the rhythms and natural melody found in Irish speech, composer and producer Gerry Diver has created a unique collection of new compositions. The Speech Project features exclusive spoken word contributions from seminal Irish folk musicians. Key phrases from recorded interviews are the seeds from which his compositions grow into ground-breaking and beautiful works. The music was graciously described by one of the interviewees as “a kind of folk minimalism on the cutting edge of folk crossover”. The live musicians include Gerry Diver and special guest Lisa Knapp who interact live with the Speech Project recordings. Specially commissioned videos have also been made for selected works.

Support: Matt Sage

Baby Boogie - Pegasus Sunday Funday

Baby Boogie is a fabulous and fun event for children 5 and under.

A 45-minute workshop before the disco, led by professional dance tutors, takes you through all the moves you need. Go on, get creative and boogie with your toddler!

A Dancin’ Oxford Festival and Pegasus special event for 2012.

Family tickets also available:

1 adult, 1 child: £7 ( select two tickets using the '1adult, 1 child' price type)

2 adults, 2 child: £13 ( select 4 tickets using the '2 adult, 2 child' price type)

Doric String Quartet

Doric String Quartet
Alex Redington violin
Jonathan Stone violin
Simon Tandree viola
John Myerscough cello

Haydn Op 20 no 4
Chausson String Quartet

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

Baby Boogie - Pegasus Sunday Funday

Baby Boogie is a fabulous and fun event for children 5 and under.

A 45-minute workshop before the disco, led by professional dance tutors, takes you through all the moves you need. Go on, get creative and boogie with your toddler!

A Dancin’ Oxford Festival and Pegasus special event for 2012.

Family tickets also available:

1 adult, 1 child: £7 ( select two tickets using the '1adult, 1 child' price type)

2 adults, 2 child: £13 ( select 4 tickets using the '2 adult, 2 child' price type)

The Wihan String Quartet

The much acclaimed Wihan are Quartet in Residence at Trinity College of Music, London, and for several years have taught many of the UK’s gifted young Quartets at Pro Corda in Suffolk. They regularly give inspirational concerts and master classes to young people in many parts of the country.

Beethoven: Quartet in C minor opus 18 no 4
Dvořák: Quartet in D minor 34
Schubert: Quartet in G, D887

Note: All those under the age of 25 will be admitted free of charge at the door

Adderbury Ensemble Winter Series 2012

Thursday 26 January
David Lepage – Director/Solo Violin
Ian Wilson – Recorder

Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusic
Vaughan Williams – Oboe Concerto
Dvorak Serenade for Strings

Thursday 8 March
Soloist – Viv Maclean – Piano
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1
Mendelssohn String Symphony
Holst St Paul’s Suite
Britten Simple Symphony

Thursday 12 April
Lucy Wakeford – Harp
Julian Sperry – Flute

Mozart Symphony No 40
Haydn Symphony No 44
Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

The Ligeti Quartet

The Ligeti Quartet was formed in 2010 and is dedicated to promoting 20th and 21st century music of both established and emerging composers.

ELENA FIRSOVA String Quartet No. 8 (1995)
SOFIA GUBAIDULINA String Quartet No. 4 (1994)
CONLON NANCARROW String Quartet No. 1 (1945)
GYÖRGY LIGETI String Quartet No. 1 Métamorphoses nocturnes (1953-4)

Moving With The Times

This year’s special commission dance showcase will feature four of Oxford’s new and emerging artists creating specially created works for the Dancin’ Oxford 2012 festival. Following the huge success of the 2011 showcase, this is an opportunity for four local artists to make something entirely new for the ever growing and enthusiastic audience that Dancin’ Oxford has generated over the years. Early booking is strongly recommended.

Alistair Anderson (Concertina and Northumbrian Pipes)

Alistair Anderson is internationally recognized as the master of the English Concertina and a fine performer on the Northumbrian Pipes.

He will perform music of Northumberland and the Borders ranging from 18th century pipe tunes to the melodies of 19th century fiddlers, from the compositions of shepherd musicians to new music composed by Anderson rooted in these traditions.

Oxford Bach Choir and the London Mozart Players

Oxford Bach Choir
London Mozart Players
Nicholas Cleobury conductor

Haydn Mass in B flat Major, “Theresienmesse”
Mozart Requiem Mass in D Minor K.626

“A very satisfying experience with excellent choral singing under the strong leadership of Nicholas Cleobury – what more can one ask of a concert?” (March 2010).

We are delighted to welcome the Oxford Bach Choir for an evening of choral splendour featuring two great late 18th Century works accompanied by the distinguished London Mozart Players. Haydn’s choral writing in the Theresienmesse has all the variety, rhythmic energy and contrapuntal skill of a composer at the height of his powers and this performed alongside Mozart’s famous Requiem in the architectural beauty of the Sheldonian Theatre will surely give us an exceptional concert.

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Dvořák / Bartók / Brahms

Dvořák Slavonic Dances Op 46 Nos 1,3, & 8
Bartók The Miraculous Mandarin Suite
Brahms Piano Concerto no.2

Tom Poster piano
Robert Max conductor

Under 16s free with paying adult.

Cello and Piano Recital

Jacqueline Johnson, Cello
Tallis Barker, Piano

Shostakovich Sonata op.40
Barber Sonata op.6
Elizabeth Maconchy - Serenade

"music with a sense of joyous purpose..." Melbourne Age
"exceptionally articulate and expressive..." Oxford Times

Moving With The Times

Mathew Sharp & Viv Mclean

Mathew Sharp – cello
Viv Mclean – piano

Chopin Cello Sonata
Piazzola Grande Tango

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

Dance-A-Thon

Spirit of New Zealand

British and New Zealand choral music, secular and sacred.
Works include Dove 'Seek him', Macmillan 'Bring us, O Lord', Hamilton 'Rakiura', Griffiths 'Beata Virgo' plus Maori
traditional songs. In honour of the strong bond between Britain and NZ and to commemorate those affected by the
Christchurch earthquake.

ORGAN, James Brown
CONDUCTOR, Janet Lincé

No Stone Unturned

Oxford Youth Dance believes that dance is for everybody and celebrates young people’s individuality, creativity and love of dance. Children as young as 2 years old will be performing with their parents and Oxford Youth Dance Company will be guests for this event alongside older performing dancers who started their dancing with OYD. The dancers will be exploring new worlds with their imaginations and bodies:
What do you find when you turn a stone over?
What is inside that cave behind the rolled bolder?
Where is the lost jumper that you are searching for at the back of
the cupboard?
What is this strange object that has appeared in the attic?
Did you leave something important in the garden shed?
Leave no stone unturned come and enjoy the dance!

No Stone Unturned

Anniversary Concert

Handel – Coronation Anthems (excerpts)
Gabrieli – Gloria
Schutz – Jauchzet dem Herren
Monteverdi – Deus in Auditorium (from Vespers 1610)
Gabrieli – O Magnus Mysterium

To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and also the 80th Birthday of a very special friend and longtime supporter of the City of Oxford Orchestra, Onyx Brass join forces with St Helen's Chapel Choir to present a brilliant concert of the best of brass and choral music.

“Easily the classiest brass ensemble in Britain...”
BBC Music Magazine

Snorkel

Exploring the space between groove and free improvisation, this London based collective draws on dub, jazz, afro-beat, krautrock and electronica. Their line-up is propelled by drums with guitar, trombone, synths, vocals and various samplers / electronics. Using psychedelic repetition and intense polyrhythmic grooves, they create unruly music with an infectious beat.

"...a vital flow of angular energy and unpretentious swagger" The Wire

Oxford based electronica artist PRDCTV (aka Alex Lloyd) supports with a special DJ set.

A Suitcase for all Occasions

Paulette Mae, an emerging Oxford-based choreographer, presents P.S..., you have something of mine, and tattoo in a triptych of new dance theatre. Joined by Oxfordshire-based dancers Ana Barbour and Anja Meinhardt, Contemporary, Street and Butoh dance are woven with spoken word in an evocative and surreal exploration of our attachment to objects, people and space.

Cushion Concert - Flute

45 minute informal concert with Mark Hooper especially devised for children. Fun for all the family. Bring your own cushion!
All concerts sell out, and numbers are limited for each concert, so please book in advance for your preferred time.

9.30am, 10.30am & 3pm for Under 5's only
11.30am for Over 5's only

Cushion Concert - Flute

Tippett String Quartet

Tippett String Quartet
John Mills – violin
Jeremy Isaac – violin
Julia O’Riordan – viola
Bozidar Vukotic – cello
With
Christopher Windass – viola
Dvorak String Quartet op.96 (American)
Mozart String Quintet in G minor K516

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

Cushion Concert - Flute

Dance-A-Thon

Cushion Concert - Flute

Dance-A-Thon

Messiah (March)

Charivari Agréable
William Towers (countertenor)
Oakham School Chapel Choir
Peter Davis (conductor)

A masterpiece set within a masterpiece: an Eastertide performance of Handel’s sublime choral work Messiah performed in the glorious surroundings of the Sheldonian Theatre.

Retiring collection in aid of Occtopus (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust).

Dance Taster Workshop

Beethoven String Quartet Series Holywell Music Room

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Natalie Clein and Oxford Philomusica

Chris Ferebee
City of Trees (World Premiere)

Saint -Saëns
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33

Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36

Natalie Clein cello
Marios Papadopoulos conductor

Saint-Saëns’ finely wrought and mellifluous Cello Concerto is played by the always captivating Natalie Clein, before Tchaikovsky’s turbulent, tortured – but finally triumphant – Fourth Symphony propels the evening to a brilliant conclusion. As part of its University Residency the Orchestra will open the concert with the world premiere of ‘City of Trees’ a composition selected for performance following the 2011 Composers’ Workshop.

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Dance and Academia Conference

Space to Dance - Exploring Movement, Site and Surroundings
This one-day symposium brings together dance practitioners, academics and professionals from different fields to gain an insight into movement in, through and around space. The day will contain a practical workshop as well as papers, time for discussion and a unique opportunity to explore the spaces around us both physically and mentally...
For more details go to www.dancinoxford.co.uk

Conference Only 12pm-6pm

Workshop and Conference 10am-6pm

107 Philip Pullman, Christopher Edge and J.D.Sharpe

In the bicentennial year of Dickens’s birth, three authors discuss the lasting influence of his work, particularly on young people’s literature. Christopher Edge is a Dickens fan and author of the Victorian thriller Twelve Minutes to Midnight; Philip Pullman is author of the Dickensian Sally Lockhart quartet; and J D Sharpe has introduced the paranormal to Dickens in Oliver Twisted. The event is chaired by publisher Marion Dickens Lloyd, great-great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

135 Helen Nathan

Ages 3-9

Come and join Helen Nathan, creator of baking star Flossie Crums, as she reads from the first book in the amazing Flossie series of baking adventures, Flossie Crums and the Fairies’ Cupcake Ball, and decorate your very own Daisy cupcake to take home with you!

Flossie is seven and three quarters and loves baking. When she finally meets the fairies that live at the bottom of the garden and they taste her delicious cakes, the fairies invite her to bake for the fairy queen. Will Flossie’s cupcakes be good enough to impress Queen Romolonia?

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

138 Ben Markovits

Childish Loves completes Benjamin Markovits’s trilogy of Byron-inspired novels. In it, the narrator, Peter Sullivan, inherits manuscripts relating to the poet. As with Byron, Sullivan’s life is tarnished by whispers of an inappropriate liaison with a young boy. Markovits explores the issues around childhood and sexual awakening, innocence and attraction, both in the contemporary narrative and through flashbacks to a teenage Byron’s youthful encounters with a choirboy in Cambridge.

His well researched novels bring to life Byron and his circle. Imposture, the first novel in the trilogy, deals with Dr John Polidori, the tragic outsider during that creative summer in Geneva, whose ferocious jealousy of Byron drove him to commit suicide at a young age. The horrors of Byron’s marriage to Annabella Millbanke and allusions to a possible incestuous affair with his half-sister Augusta, are revealed in A Quiet Adjustment.

Ben Markovits teaches creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. His previous novels include The Syme Papers, Either Side of Winter and Playing Days. Before taking up a writing career, he was a professional basketball player.

Sponsored by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association
Presented by the Bodleian Library

124 Peter Rabbit’s Birthday Show

Ages 4-7

Come and celebrate 110 years of Peter Rabbit! Hop along to this charming interactive puppet show where The Tale of Peter Rabbit is brought to life. Help Peter escape from Mr McGregor’s garden and continue on his journey with lots of birthday fun along the way.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

111 Sue Prideaux

August Strindberg is known a ‘the mad inventor of modern theatre’. His Miss Julie was the first ‘pyschodrama’ and its lead role is one that all the great actresses aspire to play. More than most, Strindberg based a lot of his writing on his own life. Sue Prideaux became fascinated by his life when she was researching her previous book, Edvard Munch: Behind the Scream. She portrays Strindberg’s dramatic and chaotic life in fin-de-siècle Paris and Berlin where he would work and debate with the likes of Munch, Paul Gaughin and Frank Wedekind. And Prideaux reveals for the first time the real people on whom the characters in Miss Julie were based and the suicide that inspired the play’s dramatic ending.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

116 Martin Bell

Martin Bell has been many things – an icon of BBC war reporting, Britain’s first independent MP for 50 years, a UNICEF ambassador, a staunch supporter of rights for the armed forces and the man in the white suit – a tireless campaigner for honesty and accountability in politics.

His new book however, reveals he is also a talented poet of light verse. Here Bell’s poems continue his war by other means on duplicitous politicians, our all-consuming media, the venality of celebrity culture and much more. He presents poems on Tony Blair and Iraq – a theme he returns to frequently as he laments the plight of the troops as they fought what he regards as an illegal war; on Radovan Karadzic, the Serbian War criminal whom he met on trial in the Hague; and on his hero, Reuters reporter Kurt Schork, killed on assignment in Sierra Leone.

Bell’s collection of poems is a funny, honest and often moving account of his life and experiences.

141 Film Oxford Walking Tour

From Charley’s Aunt to the latest episode of Inspector Lewis, Oxford has proved a magnate for filmmakers and filmgoers alike. Whether it is a Bollywood spectacular or Harry Potter, the streets and quadrangles of Oxford are a familiar background to numerous films. In this walk, explore the city that has provided the setting for films as diverse as The Golden Compass and A Yank at Oxford and hear about ‘film’ Oxonians such as Rosamund Pike, Emma Watson, Kris Kristofferson and Rowan Atkinson.

139 John Simpson

What do we gain from republishing curious old dictionaries? Well – quite a lot. John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, takes another look at A Dictionary of the Canting Crew (1699) and wonders whether the editor captured the concerns of the 17th-century Londoner or sensationalised his subject matter for the popular readership of the day.

Presented by The Bodleian Library

113 Marina Lewycka

Marina Lewycka casts a witty eye on modern values in this her fourth novel. It features parents Marcus and Doro who spent more than 20 years until the early 1990s living in a left-wing commune. Their grown-up children are rather different – son Serge pretends to be doing a PhD at Cambridge but is really making a fortune in the City, Clara is a primary schoolteacher who craves order and clean bathrooms, while Oolie-Anna has Downs Syndrome and is desperate to live on her own.

Lewycka, whose first novel A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian won the Bollinger Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction and the Waverton Good Read Award, brings her unique blend of irony and wit to bear on the characters and events.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

136 Wendy Beckett, Anthony Wall, Randall Wright

BBC Two’s flagship arts series Arena is making a major, revealing documentary with contemplative nun and arts writer Sister Wendy Beckett, to be broadcast Easter 2012.

Sister Wendy has a rare ability to get to the heart of a picture’s narrative, and connect us to its big emotional insights, but she has told us nothing about her life, the unexpected international fame, or the core of her faith.

For the first time Sister Wendy looks back at her life, revealing intimate thoughts, reminiscences, and self-doubt. At the same time, she uses great old master paintings and examples of modern painting to tell us the gospel stories that were once universally familiar, but are now regularly disregarded. These are the stories that inspired her life of devotion, stories that she feels have relevance today

Film-maker and Arena series editor, Anthony Wall, director Randall Wright and Sister Wendy introduce the film.

A BBC Arena CTVC Co-production

140 Helen Nathan

Family event

Two teams of children compete against the clock and in front of the audience to create the best healthy dish they can from mystery ingredients. Using two mini-mobile kitchens and all the utensils necessary to cook with, both teams work with real chefs, including Helen Nathan, to create a healthy dish in under 15 minutes. Audience, get ready for on-the-spot nutritional questions and food tasting. Are you eating healthily?

This session is provided by festival partner Chartwells, the leading provider of contract catering and support services to the education sector in the UK. Its aim is to engage both the participants and the audience, and to get them excited about cooking and eating healthy, well balanced meals.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

127 Emma Dodd, K A Gerrard

Age 9+

Join award-winning illustrator Emma Dodd and author K A Gerrard in a hands-on workshop on how to put together your own graphic novel. Their ancient historical comic strip books A Roman Rescue and An Egyptian Escape combine fun and learning in lively adventures. Whatever your favourite subject, they will offer step-by-step help and advice on layout, dialogue and illustration.

This event is limted to 20 participants.

115 Jewell Parker Rhodes

The devastation caused in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina forms the backdrop to Jewell Parker Rhodes’ multi-award-winning children’s novel Ninth Ward. Rhodes writes of Katrina’s impact on Ninth Ward, a poor community in New Orleans. She weaves African-American spirituality and magical realism into suspenseful drama and social critique.

Ninth Ward is a deeply emotional story about transformation and a celebration of resilience, friendship, and family. The story follows 12-year-old orphan Lanesha, abandoned by her ‘uptown family’ after her mother dies giving birth to her, and who is taken in by Mama Ya-Ya. Both Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya have the gift of ‘sight’ and Mama Ya-Ya has a vision of a powerful hurricane approaching.

Ninth Ward is Rhodes’ first novel for young readers. Her adult books, including Voodoo Dreams and Douglass Women, have won awards such as the American Book Award and the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence.

Ages 8+

105 Alistair Horne

Along the way, Sir Alistair delights with portraits of the many entertaining and well-known characters he both befriended and lined up against. These include the likes of Harold MacMillan, whose biography he wrote, and George W Bush, who invited him to the Oval Office to talk about his book on the Franco-Algerian conflict, A Savage War of Peace.

Sir Alistair was knighted in 2003 for services to Franco-British relations and also holds the French Legion d’Honneur for his work on French history.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

123 Tamara Macfarlane, Gilbert Giggles

Age 5+

Step right up for the greatest show at the festival! Come and meet Tamara Macfarlane, author of Amazing Esme, and her infamous sidekick, leading children’s comedian Gilbert Giggles. Be amazed by unicycling, confused by juggling and, if you are feeling brave enough, attempt some plate-spinning. And for the finale . . . discover how to build a story of your own through Gilbert’s catastrophic antics and Tamara’s tales of bad-mannered tea parties. Miss it and you’ll miss out! Not for the faint of heart or people of a grumpy disposition.

133 Steve Jones

Many biologists are worried by the recent and unexpected return of an argument based on belief – based on certainty and unsupported by evidence – that life did not evolve but appeared by supernatural means. Worldwide, more people believe in creationism than in evolution. Why do no biologists agree? Steve Jones will talk about what evolution is, about new evidence that men and chimps are close relatives and about how we are, nevertheless, unique. He will also outline why creationism does more harm to religion than it does to science.

Jones won the Aventis Prize for Science Books (then known as the Rhone-Poulenc Prize) in 1994 for The Language of the Gene. In 1997, he was awarded the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize, the UK’s foremost award for communicating science to the public.

Presented by Centre for Inquiry

120 Science and the Future – Uncertain Futures

Introduced by Dr Ian Goldin, director of the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford

This event costs £47. Participants wishing to attend the evening comedy event are eligible for a 20% discount on the comedy event (please call the box office on 01865 305 305 to receive this discount.

For the second year the festival is devoting a whole afternoon to a series of panel discussions around a common scientific theme. The umbrella title for these themed afternoons is Science and the Future. The theme for 2012 is Uncertain Futures.

We still have much to learn about the nature of the Universe. And we continually set ourselves new questions about the impact that technology and social change will make on ourselves and on our environment. Through three panel discussions, this seminar will explore the question of how we deal with uncertainty in science.

The afternoon is chaired by science writer and author Georgina Ferry and has been developed in partnership with the University of Oxford’s Oxford Martin School, which supports 30 interdisciplinary research teams tackling global challenges, and with Science Oxford Live.

The programme is designed to offer a more in-depth review of key issues and the opportunity to meet and talk with speakers both over tea and at an evening drinks reception.

For the full programme, please see the Oxford Literary Festival website

106 Andy Stanton & Jeremy Strong

For age 7+

Our sides are still aching from last year’s appearance by Jeremy Strong and Andy Stanton, so we have invited them back for another hilarious hour of silliness this year. Two of our finest and funniest, they will share with you the latest about Mr Gum, Cartoon Kid, and The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog Goes for Gold!

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

118 John Gittings

The history of mankind is dominated by war, but journalist John Gittings argues that the progress and prosperity of humanity depend on a peaceful environment. He looks back as far as Confucius and Homer, to early Christian writers and to Shakespeare; traces the growth of the peace movement; and looks at the role played by Tolstoy and Gandhi. He says opportunities to end the Cold War earlier were missed and that, once again, we are missing opportunities for peace in the 21st century.

Gittings was chief foreign leader-writer and East Asian editor at The Guardian and is now a research associate of the Centre of Chinese Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

119 Layn Marlow

Ages 3-6

It is not easy being brave – even for Bramble, the bravest little mole in the burrow. The creator of Bramble and other delightful picture-book characters, illustrator Layn Marlow studied history of art and has a first-class degree in illustration. Join her to find out what makes Bramble’s tummy shudder, then have fun making a marvellous moley memento to take home with you. (Adult supervision recommended.)

128 Peter Whitfield

Peter Whitfield’s new book, Travel: a Literary History, tours the historical motives for travel and travel writing – religion, conquest, gold, glory, adventure, aesthetics, science, sex, hedonism, poetry and wisdom – but shows how these overt motives have almost always been accompanied by that of self discovery – the discovery of the foreignness within ourselves.

Peter Whitfield is the author of more than a dozen works of history, literary criticism and poetry, including A Universe of Books: Readings in World Literature, and English Poetry: a New Illustrated History.

102 Caroline Brothers & Kamin Mohammadi

Exile and the experience of being a refugee in a foreign land are at the heart of new works by journalists Caroline Brothers and Kamin Mohammadi . Brothers’ novel Hinterland is an unsettling story of two young brothers who make the journey from Afghanistan to Europe with only the clothes on their back and an inheritance stitched into the lining of a belt. In Cypress Tree: A Love Letter to Iran, Mohammadi tells the true story of her flight to the UK from Iran in 1979, at the age of nine. She returns years later to discover the history of her family. Together, Brothers and Mohammadi, explore whether fiction and memoir have the power to change the world.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

103 Lavinia Greenlaw

Lavinia Greenlaw has published three previous poetry collections, Night Photograph (1993), A World Where News Travelled Slowly (1997) and Minsk (2003), which was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot, Forward and Whitbread Poetry prizes. Her new collection, The Casual Perfect, continues her explorations of light and the borders of vision. Questions of travel hover around many of these poems – questions which need to be ‘travelled fully’ rather than answered and which involve the overheard and the glimpsed, clues gleaned from traces and external signs. Greenlaw has also published two novels and a memoir.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

132 Tony Benn, David Lammy, Mary Riddell

What caused the unthinkable riots, looting, arson, mugging, assault, deaths across England last summer, were these riots just waiting for an excuse to kick off and why did no one see them coming – or did they?

Was this a riot by the feral underclass, when children as young as seven, and those from middle class backgrounds were also involved? Was it a result of poverty and deprivation, just a bit of fun, or is there an entitlement culture in our society? Who’s to blame, politicians, bankers, big business, parents? Could the damage in London and the spread of riots across England be blamed on the police for losing control of the streets?

What are the lessons to be learned, will we see a repeat this summer, and what can be done to avoid one?

These and many other questions will be addressed by our distinguished panel of Tony Benn former MP, Cabinet Minister and Labour party chairman; David Lammy, MP for Tottenham since 2000, where the summer’s riots began, who held several ministerial positions in the Labour government and recently published Out of the Ashes: Britain after the Riots; and Mary Riddell, columnist and political interviewer for the Daily Telegraph.

125 David Lammy

David Lammy was one of five children raised by a single mother in the recession-and-riot-hit Tottenham of the 1980s. Through hard graft, luck and being pushed by a doting mother, Lammy would become the first black Briton to graduate from Harvard Law School and one of the youngest Members of Parliament in 2000.

Today, the recession politics of the 1980s has returned – the next few years will see thousands out of work and last summer saw social unrest return to the streets of Britain’s inner cities. Join Lammy, author of an analysis of the August 2011 riots, Out of the Ashes, as he discusses whether social mobility can survive in the age of austerity?

117 Frank Cottrell Boyce & Charlie Higson

In celebration of Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels and of the children’s novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Frank Cottrell Boyce, film-maker and author of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, and Charlie Higson, comedian and author of the Young Bond books, discuss Fleming’s originals and their own sequels. Cottrell Boyce was asked by the Fleming family to write a sequel to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in which the original vehicle becomes a camper van. Higson is author of many books including seven in the Young Bond series.

Ages 8+

122 Korky Paul

Have fun celebrating Winnie the Witch’s 25th anniversary with Korky Paul, the world’s greatest portrait painter and dinosaur drawer! Join him for an energy-filled event of quick sketching, story book adventure and plenty of audience participation.

137 Masha Gessen

Masha Gessen’s brave new book lifts the lid on Russian leader Vladimir Putin at a time when it is dangerous to criticise the country’s government. As a journalist living in Moscow, Gessen experienced the extraordinary rise of Putin firsthand. She draws on exclusive sources to explain how a low-level member of the KGB rose to become president of one of the most powerful countries in the world. And she tells how he ended years of progress in Russia by seizing control of the media, sending his rivals into exile and concentrating power in the hands of his cronies. Publication of the book coincides with the first signs that the Russian people are beginning to run out of patience with their rulers.

Gessen was born in Russia but moved with her family to the United States in 1981. She returned to Moscow in 1991 where she is the Russian correspondent for US News and World Report.

112 Toby Musgrave

Fruit and vegetables are as much part of our history as castles and historic manors – but heritage varieties are disappearing fast. Toby Musgrave, a leading authority on garden history and design, tells the fascinating stories behind our rich food heritage and celebrates the work of growers who are rediscovering older varieties of fruit and vegetable. And he explains why older varieties often have significant advantages over the new.

Musgrave’s celebration of heritage fruit and vegetables is published in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society and features the sumptuous photography of Clay Perry. Musgrave is also the author of The Head Gardeners and Cottage Gardens.

108 John Gray

Political philosopher and author John Gray champions the work of 20th-century poet, lecturer, popular philosopher and novelist John Cowper Powys. The literary quarterly Slightly Foxed aims to revive interest in forgotten books and authors and Gray was commissioned to write about Cowper Powys for the spring issue.

John Gray is emeritus professor of European thought at the London School of Economics. He now writes full time, is the author of Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals, The Immortalization Commission: The Strange Quest to Cheat Death and many other books, and is one of Britain’s most talked-about thinkers and philosophers.

114 David Hare

We are delighted to welcome one of our greatest living playwrights to the festival. Sir David Hare’s work is performed around the globe, making him one of Britain’s most internationally performed playwrights. Sir David is the author of 28 plays for the stage, 16 of which have been performed at the National Theatre. These include Plenty, The Secret Rapture, Skylight, Amy’s View, Via Dolorosa, Stuff Happens, Gethsemane and The Power of Yes. His many screenplays for cinema and television include Licking Hitler, Damage, The Hours and The Reader. He directed his most recent television film Page Eight for the BBC.

Sir David, whose awards include a Bafta, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Olivier Award and the London Theatre Critics’ Award, will be discussing his latest play South Downs. It is set in 1962 at a public school similar to the one attended by Sir David. It features an adolescent’s musings on education, faith and teenage friendship. He will also talk more generally about his life as a playwright.

101 Alex Preston & Oliver James

God and money collide in novelist Alex Preston’s new work, The Revelations. Here he discusses the issues with clinical psychologist, author and broadcaster Oliver James. What are the consequences when money and religion collide? How does a novelist tackle these themes and what is the perspective of the psychologist? Is money the new religion and can it deliver us happiness?

Preston’s debut novel, This Bleeding City, was described as ‘the definitive novel of the credit crisis’. It won the 2010 Edinburgh International Book Festival Readers’ First Book Award and the 2010 Spear’s Special Award for Best First Book. James trained and practised as a clinical psychologist and has worked for more than 20 years as a writer, journalist, broadcaster and producer. His books include Affluenza, They F*** You Up, and Britain on the Couch.

121 Helen Arney

Your host is geek songstress and comedian Helen Arney, as heard on Radio 4 and as seen on last year’s Uncaged Monkeys national tour. Joining her will be Festival of the Spoken Nerd’s Steve Mould, Edinburgh Fringe regular Rob Wells, and Oxford’s own Dr Andrew Pontzen, all taking a look at the known—and unknown—universe with wit and comedic wisdom.

Price is £8 if bought with event 120 - telephone bookings only, please call 01865 305 305.

129 Representing Sylvia Plath: An Evening

Interest in Sylvia Plath continues to grow, as does the mythic status of her relationship with Ted Hughes, but Plath is a poet of enduring power in her own right. Dr Sally Bayley, teaching and research fellow at the Rothermere American Institute University of Oxford, hosts an evening celebrating the writer’s work in song, film, painting and theatre.

Composer Dr William May will present three Plath poems for voice sung by Lucia Simon; singer-songwriter Jack Harris will perform a Plath lullaby; and Professor Linda Gates, head of voice in the Department of Theatre at Northwestern University, will perform a Plath monologue. The evening will end with a showing of Professor Suzie Hanna’s animated film, The Girl Who Would Be God, and of paintings of Plath by the pop artist, Stella Vine.

This event will last one hour and 15 minutes.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

126 Patrick Ness, Tim Bowler, Sally Nichols

Three award-winning authors of young-adult fiction discuss how writers tackle some of the life and death issues when writing for the young. Patrick Ness is author of the Chaos Walking trilogy, which explores love and war, truth and betrayal. He won the 2011 Carnegie medal for Monsters of Men and is also author of A Monster Calls, a story of love and death completed from an idea left by the late Siobhan Dowd.

He discusses the ambitiousness of young-adult fiction with Tim Bowler, also a former Carnegie Medal winner for River Boy and the author of books with powerful themes of society and spirituality, and with Sally Nicholls, author of the life-affirming, tear-jerking Branford Boase winner Ways to Live Forever and of a new historical novel set at the time of the Black Death, All Fall Down.

134 Mark Easton

Mark Easton invites you to look at Britain in a new way with his A-Z of essays on the nation. The BBC News home editor looks at the UK through its relationship to 26 subjects – one for each letter of the alphabet. His subjects range from alcohol, beat bobbies, cheese and dogs through immigration, justice, knives and murder to the Queen, umbrellas, vegetables and the Zzzz of a well-deserved rest. Together, the essays offer an insight into the psyche of Britain – our obsessions, prejudices, values and idiosyncrasies. What sort of place is it, what are we like, and how did we get to where we are?

Easton is an award-winning journalist. He was appointed BBC News home editor in 2004 and before that was home and social affairs editor and political editor at Channel Four News.

104 Norman Stone

The story of Turkey’s history is one of epic proportions, featuring big characters such as Genghis Khan, Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and Kemal Attaturk. It is the story of a country that once had a vast empire and of a country in which east meets west, religion meets secularism and tradition meets modern values. Norman Stone, a former professor of modern history at the University of Oxford and a former foreign policy advisor to Margaret Thatcher, has lived in Turkey since 1997. He examines the reasons for the decline of the Ottoman Empire, showing how it led to today’s Turkish republic and helping us to understand what it feels like to be Turkish today.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

226 Richard Fortey

In this wonderful and eye-opening piece of scientific detective work, Richard Fortey takes us on a journey across the globe in search of traces of evolution in creatures that have survived from long ago. He follows the history of life on Earth not through fossils but through the living stories of plants and animals that have survived almost unchanged for millions of years. The writer’s subjects range from algal mats dating back two billion years to the musk oxen survivors of the Ice Age.

Fortey is a former senior palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum. He has won acclaim for his engaging writing style and is author of several books including The Hidden Landscape, which won The Natural World Book of the Year.
‘A true delight: full of awe-inspiring details . . . the book blends travel, history, reportage and science to create an unforgettable picture of our ancient earth.’ Sunday Times

212 Michael Morpurgo

We are delighted to welcome one of our most magical storytellers to this year’s festival. Michael Morpurgo will talk about his highly acclaimed 1982 work War Horse, which was recently adapted into a hugely successful West End and Broadway production and has now been made into a big-budget film by Steven Spielberg. War Horse is set in World War I. It tells of Joey, the horse of a young boy Albert that is sold to the cavalry and taken to France. Joey’s rider dies and the horse serves on both sides of the fighting before finding itself in No Man’s Land. Albert, still too young to join the army, sets off to find Joey and bring the horse home.

Morpurgo, the third children’s laureate (2003-2005), has written more than 120 books. His children’s novels, which include Private Peaceful, The Butterfly Lion, and The Wreck of the Zanzibar, have won many awards both at home and abroad. Above all, they are loved by children and their parents. His most recent book is Little Manfred. It is the story of how a wooden Dachsund carved by a German prisoner of war for a British family came to be in the Imperial War Museum.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

219 Giles Andreae & Janet Cronin

Football-playing tortoises! A knitting gorilla! Burping sharks! Join Giles Andreae, creator of cartoon character Purple Ronnie and author of Giraffes Can’t Dance, and illustrator Janet Cronin for an hour of craft activities and hilarious and unexpected tales full of wisdom from the13 little books of Andreae’s World of Happy series. Adults will be amused too.

Ages 3-6

205 Katy Darby & Kate Williams

Two darkly alluring novels set in the Victorian era form the backdrop to a discussion about the art of bringing the past to life. Authors and Oxford graduates Katy Darby and Kate Williams write about a world of murder, prostitutes, mystery, death and disease. In The Whores’ Asylum, Darby, who studied at Somerville College, brings to life the seedy streets of Oxford’s Jericho in 1887, where ill-lit taverns are haunted by drunkards and brazen women. Fellow Somerville graduate Williams is an expert on 18th and 19th-century history. She appears regularly on radio and TV, including as social historian on BBC’s Restoration Home. Williams recreates 1840 Spitalfields in London for a tale of murder, The Pleasures of Men. Together, they discuss bringing the past to life.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

206 Matthew Sturgis

Rome has been exciting visitors for 2,000 years but tourists from different ages have been drawn by different things. Matthew Sturgis takes a fresh perspective on the ‘Eternal City’ by considering what it was that, for example, drew Renaissance visitors, the Lords on their Grand Tour and the Victorians. Today, few seek out sights such as the Cloaca Maxima, Forum of Trajan, the bones of St Pancras or the reclining Cleopatra, but they were at one time or other among the great attractions of Rome and the world.

Sturgis, the author of a number of books, including biographies of Aubrey Beardsley and Walter Sickert, uses a wealth of sources to reclaim many forgotten aspects of Rome’s history.

202 Julia Churchill & Leah Thaxton

Old friends on opposite sides of the fence, Leah Thaxton, publishing director of Egmont, publishers of Kristina Stephenson, Andy Stanton and J D Sharpe (all of whom are appearing at the festival), and Julia Churchill, of the Greenhouse Literary Agency, talk through everything you need to know about getting your children’s book published. That ranges from what an agent does, to what a publisher looks for, and includes everything in between and afterwards. It is a 360-degree guide to writing, pitching and publishing your children’s book – from younger fiction for ages five and up, right through to sophisticated young adult books. We welcome back this popular three-hour session, including your chance to ask questions. Fun, revealing and incisive.

204 John Lanchester

Capital is the outstanding new novel by Whitbread award-winning writer John Lanchester. It takes place on Pepys Road, an ordinary street in the capital that has seen a hundred years of fortunes won and lost. One day in December 2007, a card drops through each letterbox, bearing the message: We Want What You Have. Capital is a post-economic-crash, state-of-the-nation novel that tells the stories of the residents of Pepys Road. It is the story of one street, but also the story of a global crisis and how it has affected us all. Lanchester, author of The Debt to Pleasure, Mr Phillips and Fragrant Harbour, talks to The Sunday Times literary editor Andrew Holgate.

213 Marian Stamp Dawkins

What can science tell us about the quality of life of animals? And are we justified in projecting human emotions on to animals? These are some of the questions examined by Marian Stamp Dawkins, professor of animal behaviour at the University of Oxford, in Why Animals Matter. She argues for a radical rethink about animal welfare, saying we should place less emphasis on the conscious experience of suffering in animals, and more emphasis on the importance of animal welfare to human health and well-being.

Dawkins looks at how animal welfare is important to food security and climate change and explores the latest evidence about animal consciousness and animal emotions.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

239 Literary Oxford Walking Tour

Explore Oxford colleges and landmark buildings in the company of the poets A E Housman, A C Swinburne, Edward Thomas and Robert Bridges, as well as writers such as Dorothy Sayers, Graham Greene, Kingsley Amis and Barbara Pym – not forgetting JRR Tolkein and Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson). The walk starts at St John’s College, where Housman and Philip Larkin were undergraduates, and finishes at Christ Church.

Allegri String Quartet

Allegri String Quartet
Ofer Falk – violin
Rafael Todes – violin
Dorothea Vogel – viola
Vanessa Lucas- Smith – cello

Beethoven String Quartet op.18 no.6
Beethoven String Quartet op.131

The Oxford Coffee Concerts began in 1986 and have since established themselves as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country. The concerts are held nearly every Sunday morning throughout the year in the stunning setting of the Holywell Music Room, with performances by the best musicians and ensembles from this country and abroad.
The Oxford Coffee Concerts have been described by The Independent as one of the top ten things to do in Oxford, and they are recognised as one of the most successful chamber music series in the country.

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

209 Axel Scheffler

For ages 2-5

Join Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler as he introduces his newest characters Pip and Posy. Good friends (most of the time!) this charming pair, Pip (a rabbit) and Posy (a mouse) negotiate the trials and tribulations of toddlers’ lives, and will delight toddlers and parents alike. There will be live drawing and storytelling, and maybe even a personal appearance from Pip and Posy themselves.

222 Mackenzie Crook

Actor Mackenzie Crook, star of the film Pirates of the Caribbean, BBC TV’s The Office and the stage show Jerusalem, introduces his debut novel for children, The Windvale Sprites, which he illustrated himself. Funny, charming and occasionally dark, it tells the story of Asa, a young boy who discovers a mysterious creature after the big storm of 1987. Come and hear all about Mackenzie’s passion for writing, drawing and acting.

Ages 7+

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

228 Stephen Landrigan, Qais Akbar Omar

Stephen Landrigan and Qais Akbar Omar helped to stage a remarkable production of Love’s Labour’s Lost in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2006. Landrigan, an aid worker and playwright, adapted the script, while Omar, a writer and carpet designer, was assistant director. The play was performed by Afghan actors in the Dari language, and it was the first time in a generation that men and women appeared on the stage together.

Landrigan and Omar explain how the actors adapted Shakespeare to their own tradition of epic poetry and describe the challenges in putting on a production. They also offer a glimpse into an Afghan cultural life that is rarely seen on the news.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

236 Menaka PP Bora

Oxford ethnomusicologist and award-winning dance artist Menaka PP Bora will present an innovative lecture-performance drawn from academic research on Bodleian Sanskrit manuscripts, including a rare 16th-century text, and classical performance traditions of India. Some examples of the Sanskrit manuscript collection will be on display to accompany the lecture-performance.

Menaka is Wingate Scholar-Artiste, Faculty of Music, University of Oxford.

Presented by The Bodleian Library

203 Clive Aslet

Clive Aslet draws on the archive of Country Life to showcase 25 major country houses designed by the foremost architects of the Arts and Crafts movement, including Lutyens, Webb, Williams-Ellis and Blow. The movement was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and was inspired by a vision of life based on the revival of traditional building crafts and use of local materials. Country Life, founded in 1897, championed the movement in a series of weekly articles accompanied by specially commissioned photographs. These now constitute a unique record of the Arts and Crafts houses.
Aslet, who was editor of Country Life for 13 years and is now editor-at-large, explains how the Arts and Crafts movement is still influencing architects today.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

208 Tim Jeal

Tim Jeal uncovers the extraordinary characters at the heart of this drama and explains what drove them to brave so many physically and psychologically damaging experiences in their quest. Jeal is the author of acclaimed biographies of Livingstone and Baden-Powell. His memoir Swimming with My Father was shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley Prize for Autobiography. His biography of Henry Morton Stanley was named Sunday Times Biography of the Year and won the National Book Critics’ Circle Award for Biography in 2007.

215 Richard O Smith

If you have ever complained about students, be grateful that you did not live in Oxford in past centuries. Richard O. Smith has delved into the archives to retell student mischief and mayhem from the 13th to the 21st century. He recalls the greatest stunts and practical jokes in the University of Oxford’s history, including those by Oscar Wilde, Percy Shelley and Richard Burton. His witty and often hilarious talk highlights the competing debauchery between town and gown over the last 800 years. Smith is a writer for Radio 4’s The Now Show and writes the popular The Oxford Times column Oxford Examined.

225 Adam Nicolson

The landed gentry have made England what it is, argues award-winning author Adam Nicolson. The virtues of honesty, affability, courtesy and liberality all had their origins in the life of the gentry. Nicolson looks at the history of 14 English families from 1400 to the present day. Some of the families are divided by politics, some took different sides during the Reformation and others destroyed their inheritance through reckless gambling or investments. Nicolson, a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, writes on history, travel and the environment. His works include Sissinghurst, Power and Glory and Seamanship. He lives at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent.

231 Craig Brown, Eleanor Bron, Simon Callow

Craig Brown’s One on One was chosen as their ‘book of the year’ by, among many others, Julian Barnes, Polly Samson, A N Wilson, Philip Hensher and Miranda Seymour. It is a joyous daisy-chain of 101 true encounters between the famous and the infamous (Rudyard Kipling meets Mark Twain meets Helen Keller meets Martha Graham meets Madonna, etc).

‘It is partly a karmic parlour game, partly a dance to the music of chaos – and only the genius of Craig Brown could have produced it.’ Hermione Eyre, Evening Standard.

Brown, a critic and satirist, probably best known for his work in Private Eye, is joined by Eleanor Bron, stage, film and television actress and author, and by Simon Callow, acclaimed actor, writer and theatre director. Bron and Callow will be reading the parts of Marilyn Monroe, Nikita Khrushchev, The Queen Mother, TS Eliot and many others.

218 Mei Matsuoka

Mei Matsuoka is one of the most exciting young illustrators in the UK today (see www.meimatsuoka.com). Her picturebooks include Footprints in the Snow; Burger Boy, The Great Dog Bottom Swap, and Tell Me a Story, Mummy, and she is here to tell you all about her latest hilarious story, The Great Sheep Shenanigans. And she will teach you how to make your very own sheep pom pom.

Ages 4-6

221 Jay Griffiths

In her prizewinning Wild: An Elemental Journey Jay Griffiths produced a remarkable evocation of the songlines of the earth, the result of long journeys among indigenous cultures. The book came out in 2007 to tremendous acclaim: it has been praised by, among others, John Berger, Richard Mabey and Philip Pullman. Four years on, its concerns are even more pressing, and her environmental activism continues unabated. She will be discussing her work and views with novelist and poet Jem Poster.

237 Michael Hughes, Katherine Bosworth

The role of wireless is an often-overlooked aspect of the story of the Titanic. Published to mark the centenary of the sinking, Titanic Calling draws on the Marconi Archives in the Bodleian Library to recount the fateful events of April 1912, from the first warnings of ice to the brief and poignant messages of the survivors.

The author, Michael Hughes, and co-editor, Katherine Bosworth, discuss the effectiveness of the use of wireless as the disaster unfolded. There is no doubt that it was instrumental in the rescue effort, but was there a failure to communicate ice warnings, and did this relatively new technology help or hinder as events unfolded?

Presented by The Bodleian Library

210 Nicholas Kenyon

Sir Nicholas Kenyon gathers together some of the leading authorities on London’s architecture for a journey through the history of the ‘Square Mile’. London has been England’s capital for nearly 2,000 years. It has seen the rise of the Romans, when it became a thriving military base; the Great Fire, which destroyed 13,500 buildings; the Blitz; and has been reborn today with its towering skyscrapers. The City of London focuses on eight different districts of the Square Mile and celebrates in words and pictures the buildings, public squares and gardens. It is edited by Sir Nicholas, managing director of the Barbican Centre and a former controller of BBC Radio 3 and director of the BBC Proms.

207 Max Hastings

What was it like to live through the Second World War? In this universally acclaimed book, one of our greatest living journalists and historians Max Hastings sets out to answer this question with an immensely powerful portrayal of the triumphs and tragedies of ordinary people, both military and civilian. He explores both the meaning of the conflict for its participants and the bigger picture. He argues that the Nazis displayed ‘stunning incompetence’ in the conduct of the war and that the navies of the UK and the US were the outstanding fighting services.

Hastings is the author of more than 20 books, many of them about the Second World War. He is a former editor-in-chief of the Daily Telegraph and former editor of the London Evening Standard.

224 Caroline Lawrence

Caroline Lawrence is an historical detective. She travels back in time by using artefacts as clues and primary sources as her witnesses to re-create the ‘scenes of the crimes’ that fascinate her and are described in her Roman Mysteries and Western Mysteries series of books. In an exciting, illustrated talk, Caroline will tell how her research has taken her to exotic places to meet fascinating people and witness jaw-dropping events. And, for no extra charge, she will let you in on her secrets of writing plot and character.

Ages 9+

217 Sarah Raven

Writer and broadcaster Sarah Raven travelled the length and breadth of the British Isles to find 500 beautiful wild flowers for her latest book, which was named the 2011 Sunday Times Gardening Book of the Year. She describes trips to see pulsatillas, fritillaries, bluebells, wild garlic, harebells, forget-me-nots, foxgloves, deadly nightshade, orchids and many more. Raven, who has been a regular on the BBC’s Gardeners’ World and runs her own cookery and gardening school, shows how to identify the plant families and how the wild flowers are adapted to their environment. The book is illustrated by the work of Jonathan Buckley, an award-winning garden and plant photographer.

233 Ruth Richardson int Will Gompertz

Historian Ruth Richardson talks to BBC arts editor Will Gompertz about her new book on the discovery that, as a young man, Dickens lived only yards away from a major London workhouse. The discovery made headlines and led to a campaign to save the workhouse from demolition.

Richardson, affiliated scholar in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge, and visiting professor in humanities, Hong Kong University, did a lot of the detective work on the workhouse. She tells the story of the find and reveals how important the two periods spent living in this area of London were for Dickens’s writing career.

220 A C Grayling & Roger Scruton

Two of our leading philosophers lock horns on the question of God and whether we need Him to avoid destroying our culture and ourselves. Roger Scruton, a visiting professor and research fellow at a number of universities and institutes, and A C Grayling, a former professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London, and now Master of the New College of Humanities, go head to head in one of a series of Oxford Debates for the 2012 festival.

Scruton’s new book, published on the eve of the festival, is The Face of God. In it, he aims to show how atheist culture and a turning away from God is self destructive for us and our culture. Scruton is a writer and philosopher who specialises in aesthetics, particularly in relation to music and architecture. He has published more than 30 books including Culture Counts: Faith and Feeling in a World Besieged and England: An Elegy.

Grayling is president elect of the British Humanist Association. His latest work, The Good Book, is described as a ‘secular bible’. It draws on many ancient traditions and civilisations to offer a compendium of secular wisdom. Grayling has written more than 20 books on philosophy including Ideas That Matter, Liberty in the Age of Terror and To Set Prometheus Free.

241 Kate Williams

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60 years on the throne this summer. To mark the Diamond Jubilee, Kate Williams has written the first book to focus on the Queen’s early life before she acceded to the throne. Williams looks at the sheltered upbringing of a princess who did not know she was destined to be Queen. She examines the relationships with her father, her domineering mother and with her nanny, Marion ‘Crawfie’ Crawford. And she explains the profound impact of the abdication crisis when Elizabeth, at the age of 11, suddenly found herself heir to the throne.

Williams is a biographer, novelist and historian who appears regularly on radio and TV, including as social historian on BBC’s Restoration Home. She has written biographies about Emma Hamilton and the young Queen Victoria, and a historical novel, The Pleasures of Men.

242 Adrian Levy, Cathy Scott-Clark

Journalists Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark tell the definitive story of the 1995 kidnapping in Kashmir of a group of backpackers and of how it changed the face of jihad and sowed the seeds for a war against the West. It is a story of a terrifying escape, secret letters and a horrific beheading.

Levy and Scott-Clark had access to diaries, letters, classified police reports and secret tape recordings of Indian government negotiations. They also spoke to some of the jihadis involved. Levy and Scott-Clark will discuss the story as well as wider questions about investigative journalism, its importance, whether it is a force for good and what drives people to take it up as a career.

230 Joanne Harris, Francesca Simon, Kevin Crossley-Holland

Age 9+

Three celebrated authors discuss the Norse influences on their work. Francesca Simon’s comical adventure The Sleeping Army explores what Britain would be like if we still worshipped Norse gods today. Joanne Harris’s fantastical Runelight, the second volume of her Runemarks series, also imagines our society shaped by the Vikings rather than by the Romans. And Kevin Crossley-Holland is the author of The Penguin Book of Norse Myths, and of the Viking saga Bracelet of Bones.

229 Kate Clanchy Chr Steve Matthews

Oxford’s city poet Kate Clanchy will lead a session of poetry reading and discussion that will include Oxford poets, young and old, celebrating the different heritages around Oxford. It will tie in with a project Clanchy is doing with Oxford’s Story Museum. Clanchy is a poet, script-writer, prose artist and creative-writing fellow at Oxford Brookes University. She has won numerous awards including the BBC National Short Story Award, the Writers’ Guild Award, the Forward Poetry Prize (twice) and the Scottish Arts Council Book Award.

The event is presented by Oxford Brookes University and will be chaired by Professor Steve Matthews, director of the poetry centre at the university’s Department of English and Modern Languages.

214 Bruce Hood

Who are we? We may believe that we are an independent, coherent self – an individual inside our head who thinks, watches, wonders and dreams. But this is an illusion, argues Bruce Hood, professor of developmental psychology at Bristol University and the 2011 Royal Institution Christmas lecturer. In The Self Illusion, he reveals that we learn to become our self as children, while as adults we develop and elaborate this story – a narrative that our brain creates. Prof Hood concludes that the ‘self’ is an illusion we must continue to embrace to live happily in human society. And be prepared: he is planning to challenge the brains of the audience with a few puzzles.

240 Brian Aldiss

The master of science fiction, Brian Aldiss, presents personal and revealing reflections from his new book An Exile on Planet Earth and discusses the influences behind his writing. The book is a collection of essays showing how the circumstances and events of his childhood have been translated into his work.

Aldiss is a celebrated science-fiction writer but is also known as a poet, mainstream novelist, science fiction historian and critic.

Presented by the Bodleian Library

216 Alistair Darling

Back from the Brink tells the gripping story of Alistair Darling’s one thousand days in Number 11 Downing Street. As Chancellor, he had to avert the collapse of RBS hours before the cash machines would have ceased to function; at the eleventh hour he stopped Barclays from acquiring Lehman Brothers in order to protect UK taxpayers; he used anti-terror legislation to stop Icelandic banks from withdrawing funds from British banks. From crisis talks in Washington to dramatic meetings with the titans of international banking, to dealing with the massive political and economic fallout in the UK, Darling places the reader in the rooms where the destinies of millions weighed heavily on the shoulders of a few. Here he gives a candid account of life in the Downing Street pressure cooker and his relationship with Gordon Brown during the last years of New Labour.

Alistair Darling is the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West, successively Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Transport, and Scotland. In 2006 he served as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, before Gordon Brown promoted him to Chancellor in 2007, a post he held until the change of government in May 2010.

201 Fiona MacCarthy

The work of renowned artist Edward Burne-Jones is all around us – on Christmas cards, in stained glass windows and in art galleries. Broadcaster and critic Fiona MacCarthy re-evaluates his art and life and explains his battle against vicious public hostility, the susceptibility to female beauty that inspired his art but would ruin his marriage, and how he was dogged by ill health and depression. She also explores the rift with his great friend and collaborator William Morris.

MacCarthy is one of the leading biographers in Britain today. Her biography of William Morris won two literary awards and she was awarded the OBE for services to literature in 2009.

223 Kapka Kassabova interviewed by David Freeman

Novelist and poet Kapka Kassabova has long been captivated by the tango. To tango fanatics, it is more than a dance – it is a way of life. Kassabova talks to literary journalist and broadcaster David Freeman about her life and how the tango has run through it. She describes the tango as ‘the international anthem of the existentially, romantically and culturally sick’. Tango music will be woven into the discussion.

Kassabova, who now lives in Scotland, grew up in Bulgaria and has variously lived in New Zealand, Marseilles and Berlin. Her latest work is a memoir Twelve Minutes of Love, A Tango Story. She has also written poetry and novels including the recently published Villa Pacifica.

211 Alan Parker

Sir Alan Parker is one of the most distinguished and celebrated figures in contemporary British cinema with a remarkable body of work, made both in the UK and the USA over 30-plus years. His work includes the controversial Midnight Express, Fame, Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, Bugsy Malone, The Commitments, Evita and Angela’s Ashes.

Sir Alan was born in North London and started work as a copywriter in the vibrant world of 1960s advertising, soon graduating to writing and directing commercials. These included the unforgettable series of Cinzano advertisements with Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter. Sir Alan was nominated for best director Oscar for both Midnight Express and Mississippi Burning, and he has received numerous other international awards. He has been chairman of both the British Film Institute and the UK Film Council and has been a persistent observer and critic of the British film establishment. He is also celebrated for his incisive and hilarious cartoons.

Sir Alan will be in conversation with Graham Benson, a trustee of the Oxford Literary Festival and its film, television and theatre consultant. During a 35-year career, Benson has produced Fox, Ruth Rendell’s TV mysteries, Mike Leigh’s Meantime and Jon Amiel’s Queen of Hearts. He is a former chairman of both BAFTA and PACT and currently chairs Screen South.

238 Simon Callow

Acclaimed actor and writer Simon Callow talks about the Dickens who was driven as much by performance and showmanship as by literary endeavour. His new biography, Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World, explores the central importance of the theatre to the life of the greatest storyteller in the English language. Dickens was obsessed with the stage, beginning with his early years as a child entertainer in Portsmouth. He was a great mimic who wrote, acted in and stage-managed plays. And, says Callow, his imaginative writing was theatrical, both in terms of plot and characterisation.

Callow is an actor, writer and director who has appeared in many films, including Four Weddings and a Funeral. He played Dickens in a hugely successful one-man show The Mystery of Charles Dickens on the London stage and on Broadway.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.
If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

310 Richard Moore, Chris Cooper, Dave Farrar

Is cheating in sport endemic, will the London Olympics be ‘clean’, what are the lasting effects on sport, why would an athlete risk going from national hero to a figure of contempt and, most importantly in the case of drugs, what are the lasting effects on the human body?

The whole issue of cheating in sport will be discussed by Richard Moore, award-winning sports journalist with several books to his name including the soon-to-be-published The Dirtiest Race in History: Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis and the Olympic 100m Final; Dave Farrar, a commentator and writer on a variety of sports, who has personal knowledge of gambling and is author of The Perfect Punt: A Year of Losing Everything and Trying to Win it All Back; and Chris Cooper, a top biochemist at the University of Essex, who looks at drugs in sport in Run, Swim, Throw, Cheat: The Science Behind Drugs in Sport.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

315 What's the Point of the Arts and Humanities?

What’s the point of the arts? Is there any social utility in studying humanities subjects? Should the state fund the study of such things? Should we be pleased at the withdrawal of state support for university-level study? Should such creative and scholarly practices be freely marketised? Can the arts and humanities develop without university study and scholarship? How do the arts and humanities survive in times of economic crisis? Do they benefit from poverty? Is there a current state of emergency in the arts? Comedian and co-founder of the Arts Emergency Service Josie Long, comedian and writer Stewart Lee, and world-renowned graphic novelist and magician Alan Moore discuss the value, the purpose, and the current discourse surrounding the subjects, disciplines and practices which universities commonly label the arts and humanities.

The session is organised by Oxford Brookes University in association with the Arts Emergency Service, www.arts-emergency.org and is chaired by Dr Simon Kövesi, the university’s head of English and modern languages.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

304 A N Wilson (Tolstoy)

Novelist and biographer A N Wilson is an acknowledged expert on the great Russian novelist Tolstoy. He rejects the belief that Tolstoy’s works were an exact mirror of his life, arguing instead that the roots of his writing lie in his relationship with God, with women and with Russia. Wilson examines Tolstoy’s turbulent life, his privileged but emotionally deprived childhood, his womanising and gambling and the eventual realisation of his literary genius. Along the way, he also portrays the turmoil of 19th-century Russia.

Wilson has written 20 novels. The most recent, Winnie and Wolf, was long-listed for the Man Booker in 2007. His non-fiction work includes Dante in Love, Betjeman: A Life, and C S Lewis: A Biography. He will be discussing Dante at a separate event at this year’s festival.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

301 Tiffany Atkinson

Tiffany Atkinson’s first collection, Kink and Particle (2006), gave notice of a striking poetic talent. The book was a Poetry Book Society recommendation, and also won the Jerwood/Aldeburgh prize for the best debut collection of the year. Now, with Catulla et al, she has produced an even more remarkable collection. The central sequence, which revisits and reinterprets the poetry of Catullus, is a tour de force, described by Patrick McGuinness in the Guardian as being ‘in the finest tradition of creative adaptation’.

303 Jennifer Potter

Name one flower and it would likely be the rose for many people. It has been held in fascination throughout history, a symbol of life and death, of the blood of Christ, of womanhood, of chastity and of consummation. Acclaimed horticultural historian Jennifer Potter reveals what makes the rose such a symbol for societies across the world. She looks at ancient Greece and Rome, and ranges across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, and she shows how the rose evolved into the perfection found in today’s gardens.

Potter is author of three novels and three works of non-fiction, Secret Gardens, Lost Gardens and Strange Blooms: The Curious Lives and Adventures of the John Tradescants.
‘Potter has succeeded in uncovering just why the rose has insinuated itself so tenaciously into the consciousness of every age and corner of the world.’ Kate Colquhoun, Sunday Times

313 Donna Leon and Joanne Harris, Chaired by Jessica Harris

The power of food to stimulate contrasting emotions is well documented. It can fuel cultural pride, promote conviviality and provide a sense of security. Equally, culinary occasions can prove to be isolating, reminding us we do not belong and stirring up memories best forgotten. Join Donna Leon, Joanne Harris and Jessica Harris to discuss the evocative role that food plays in fiction.

Leon is best known for her Venetian-based crime novels featuring the food-loving Commissario Guido Brunetti. Harris is author of 11 best-selling novels including Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp. Jessica Harris, author of 11 cookery books documenting the foodways of the African Diaspora, holds the Ray Charles Chair in African-American Material Culture at Dillard University, New Orleans.

This session is part of a series presented by Oxford Gastronomica, Oxford Brookes University’s centre for the study of food, drink and culture.

314 Jonathan Freedland

Today we pride ourselves on the belief that the Second World War was fought out of moral revulsion at the ideas embodied by the Nazis. But as Jonathan Freedland reveals in his new novel – Pantheon, written under the pseudonym Sam Bourne – the truth is not so neat. Intellectuals on both sides of the Atlantic were deeply in thrall to a set of principles we would now regard as horribly close to Nazism.

The idea in question is eugenics – the belief that society should encourage the strongest and brightest to breed, while pushing, or even forcing, those deemed inferior to produce fewer children or none at all. In some, that fed dreams of a new breed of supermen, a pantheon of almost godlike men and women. In others, it meant dangerous – and lethal – schemes to weed out those branded unfit for life.

Freedland will name and shame the surprising figures who signed up for this now discredited creed and reveal the true events – including a wartime episode centred on Oxford – that inspired Pantheon.

302 A N Wilson (Dante in Love)

Poet and thinker Dante Alighieri wrote one of the seminal works in world literature, The Divine Comedy. A N Wilson paints a new portrait of the 14th-century writer who has influenced so many writers who have followed. Wilson argues that it is impossible to understand Dante’s great poem without understanding medieval Florence, the feuding Italian states and competition between the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy. He also explores Dante’s immortalisation of Beatrice, a woman he greatly admired but barely knew.

Wilson has written 20 novels. The most recent, Winnie and Wolf, was long-listed for the Man Booker in 2007. His non-fiction work includes Tolstoy, Betjeman: A Life, and C S Lewis: A Biography. He will be discussing Tolstoy at a separate event at this year’s festival.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

306 Sandy Gall & Jonathan Steele

Veteran news broadcaster Sandy Gall interviewed more than 100 Afghan politicians, business people, ordinary people, and British, American and European diplomats and soldiers in pursuit of the truth about what has gone wrong in Afghanistan for his book War Against the Taliban: Why it All Went Wrong in Afghanistan. He throws fresh light on the failure to capture Osama Bin Laden and on US and British gullibility over Pakistan.

In Ghosts of Afghanistan: The Haunted Battleground, journalist and author Jonathan Steele places the recent Afghan conflict in the context of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and British imperial wars in the region. Steele is a former Washington bureau chief, Moscow bureau chief, and chief foreign correspondent for The Guardian. He is now a columnist for the newspaper on international affairs.

Together, Gall and Steele discuss what went wrong in Afghanistan and look at what the future holds for the troubled country.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

309 Jonathan Arnold, Jim Godfrey

An exclusive behind-closed-doors tour of Christ Church Cathedral, telling the fascinating story of this unique institution through readings and music. Discover the history and hidden secrets of Oxford’s cathedral with expert guide Jim Godfrey. Songs are performed by Jonathan Arnold, who has sung with, amongst others, The Sixteen, the Tallis Scholars and the Hilliard Ensemble. The tour concludes with a drinks reception.

Numbers are limited to 50, and the tour lasts two hours.

Presented by Christ Church Cathedral

422 Joanne Harris

Happily ever after . . . but was it peace at Pemberley, romance with Rochester, magical after Manderely – what did happen ever after? Novelist Joanne Harris gives us her own picture of what might have happened after the last page was turned. Then we will be putting the same question to the audience so come prepared to share what you think might have happened to some of literature’s happy couples.

Harris is an award-winning writer of many novels including Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film.

413 Judith Curthoys

Christ Church, home to the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival, is for many the grandest of the University of Oxford colleges. It was founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1525 and, over the centuries, has produced an amazing list of famous and successful men and women. Judith Curthoys, the college archivist, has produced a new history of Christ Church. She tells of the college’s unique constitution of college and cathedral, and of its traditions and eccentricities. We also hear of the college’s early emphasis on prayer and discipline and of its battles with student drunkenness.

Curthoys has been archivist at Christ Church since 1994. She is co-editor of Christ Church: A Portrait of the House and has contributed to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

403 Jill Dawson

Queenie Dove, the daring thief at the heart of Jill Dawson’s Lucky Bunny, has been likened to a 20th-century Moll Flanders. She is born into an East End criminal family during the Depression and embarks on a life of crime, constantly outwitting the police. But beneath the daring escapades, lies a darker tale of loss and heartbreak.

Dawson’s latest novel is similar to her Orange Prize and Whitbread-shortlisted Fred and Evie. Both were inspired by real women whose stories shed light on their times.

412 Tim Harford

Tim Harford, the Financial Times’s ‘undercover economist’, looks at management lessons from the war in Iraq in one of a series of festival debates on leadership. He compares the success of top-down and bottom-up decision-making in that war and looks at the role of technology in decision-making. Harford also weaves in psychological research on conformity and ‘groupthink’, and asks what it takes to turn around a failing organisation at a time of crisis.

Harford writes the undercover economist column for the Financial Times and runs the ‘Dear Economist’ problem page. His first book, The Undercover Economist, has sold one million copies worldwide. He has also published The Logic of Life and Dear Undercover Economist. He also presented the BBC TV series Trust Me, I’m an Economist.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

423 Alex James, Henrietta Green

British cheese production is thriving, and many new, small-scale producers of artisan cheeses are bringing additional variety to the market. Join Alex James and Henrietta Green to taste six new British cheeses, each representing a different production method and geographical region.

James, best known for achieving world-wide success as the bass player with Blur, is now a cheese-maker. From his farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire, he produces a range of cheeses, including the award-winning Farleigh Wallop. Green is an award-winning food writer and broadcaster, and founder of FoodLovers Britain, through which she champions superb quality, great-tasting, local and regional food.

This session is part of a series presented by Oxford Gastronomica, Oxford Brookes University’s centre for the study of food, drink and culture.

419 Donna Leon and Janet Beer

Donna Leon was recently named one of the 50 greatest crime writers by The Times. Here she discusses her latest novel Beastly Things and her life of writing and contribution to crime fiction with the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University Professor Janet Beer.

Beastly Things is the latest novel in a series set in Italy and featuring Commissario Brunetti. The Commissario recognises a dead body found floating in a canal from a farmers’ protest, but there is no identification on the body. The trail leads to a slaughterhouse, as the novel explores the dark side of Italy’s meat industry.

Leon has lived in Venice for 30 years. Her previous Brunetti novels include Friends in High Places, which won the CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction.

Beer has researched widely late 19th- and early 20th-century American literature and culture and contemporary Canadian women’s writing. She recently completed a study of the late writing of Edith Wharton.

408 Lucille Turner talks to Martin Kemp

Britain has celebrated the work of genius, artist, inventor and visionary Leonardo da Vinci with an unprecedented exhibition of his art at the National Gallery. Lucille Turner has now also provided us with the first literary work of fiction of Leonardo’s life. In Giaconda, Turner, a former translator and journalist turned university teacher, imagines Leonardo’s life. She throws light on many of the mysteries surrounding him. Is there a lost manuscript? What did the Mona Lisa mean to Leonardo? And who is the woman behind the enigmatic smile?

Turner’s imagining of Leonardo’s life is so astute that it has won praise from Leonardo scholar Martin Kemp, emeritus professor of the history of art at the University of Oxford. Here she discusses her book and Leonardo’s life with Kemp.

401 Franny Moyle

Franny Moyle had access to more than 300 of Constance’s unpublished letters and she throws fresh light on the life of the couple at the heart of fin-de-siècle London. Moyle is also the author of Desperate Romantics. Before leaving to pursue a career as a freelance writer and producer, she was the BBC’s first commissioner for arts and culture.

The UK’s bestselling crime writer talks about the second in his new series of novels featuring Malcolm Fox from the internal affairs department of Edinburgh Police. Fox and his team are sent to Fife to investigate whether officers covered up for a corrupt colleague. The trail leads to a brutal murder committed with a weapon that should not exist and back to 1985 when terrorists intent on engineering a split between Scotland and the UK were plotting kidnap and murder.

410 Merlin Waterson

Many of us enjoy our country’s uplands, coast, historic houses and gardens thanks to the generosity of people who gave their homes, land, time and expertise to the nation. Merlin Waterson, former director of historic properties at the National Trust, considers in A Noble Thing the motives behind these gifts. He explores what makes someone with little or great wealth give it away – or, in some cases, change their minds. Gifts vary from a small boat to a large cash donation from a lady recalling Colin Firth emerging from a National Trust lake in his wet shirt.

404 Sam Moorhead & David Stuttard

Sam Moorhead and David Stuttard take a fresh approach to the story of Roman Britain through the eyes of the characters who conquered and ruled the land. The cast includes well-known figures, such as Caeser, Agricola and Boudica, and some less well-known ones, such as Carausulus, Magnentius and Valentius. They show how Roman Britain was shaped by men and women driven by ambition, aspiration and passion.

Moorhead, voted Archaeologist of the Year 2011 by readers of Current Archaeology, and Stuttard, who has written numerous works on the classical world, combine expertise, enthusiasm and a genius for storytelling.

420 Janet Beer and Avril Horner

In 2012 we mark 150 years since the birth of the American author, Edith Wharton. She is best known for novels charting the lives of young women in New York society at the start of the 20th century such as The Age of Innocence. Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, and Avril Horner, emeritus professor at Kingston University, examine the later stages of her career in Edith Wharton: Sex, Satire and the Older Woman.

In the later stages of her career, Wharton turned her attention to the fate of older women in cultures that place a premium on youth. In these later works, she explores, with wit and passion, not only the fate of the older woman but some challenging and controversial themes, drawing, in the process, on literary traditions of gothic, European drama and high romanticism.

The event is presented by Oxford Brookes University.

416 Mark Billingham, Christopher Priest Chaired by Christian House

Science fiction, crime and historical novels tend to be categorised under those separate headings rather than taking their place as an integral part of mainstream literature. The Islanders, the latest book by Christopher Priest, whose novels include award-winning science fiction, explores themes of love and war in the midst of a reality both familiar and strange. Bestselling crime writer Mark Billingham’s latest Tom Thorne detective book, As Good As Dead, went straight to number one in the Sunday Times Bestseller list. Chaired by reviewer and critic Christian House, Billingham and Priest discuss why some branches of literature are confined by such labels and argue that, rather than being separate genres, they are very much part of our literary tradition.

406 William Bynum & Helen Bynum

Medical knowledge and practice have come a long way since the ancient Egyptians. William and Helen Bynum explore how various cultures have viewed the sick and healthy. They examine medical practice through the ages, from the letting of blood to keyhole surgery and the latest surgical breakthroughs, and from the theory of humours to the genetic revolution. The Bynums contrast the holism of non-Western traditions with the concentration of Western medicine on ever smaller parts of the body.

William Bynum is professor emeritus of the history of medicine at University College London and Helen Bynum is the author of Tropical Medicine in the 20th Century.

421 Humanity's Impact on the Climate

It is by no means clear whether our panel will have a common view of humanity’s impact on the climate, judging from their writings. It will be entertaining to explore common ground between Prof Tim Palmer FRS, President of the Royal Meteorological Society and Royal Society Research Professor in Climate Physics at Oxford University, James Delingpole, journalist and author of Watermelons, Tom Burke, environmentalist, advisor to Rio Tinto and previous director of Friends of the Earth, and Roger Scruton, philosopher and author of Green Philosophy: How to Think Seriously about the Planet.

Even if the discussion reaches a common position on humanity’s impact on climate change, our speakers hold diametrically opposed views on whether mankind should mitigate greenhouse gas emissions or simply seek to adapt. Chairing this lively session will be energy consultant Tony White.

This event will last for an hour and 15 minutes

405 Sarah Hall

Sarah Hall, whose novels have twice been listed for the Man Booker Prize (The Electric Michelangelo, shortlisted 2004, How to Paint a Dead Man, longlisted 2009) has now produced an absorbing and exquisitely well-crafted sequence of short stories, The Beautiful Indifference. It is a remarkable collection of intensely erotic and disarming tales which span past, present and the future, and evoke landscapes as diverse as the London streets, a desolate lake in the Finnish wilderness and (in a story shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award) the Cumbrian fells.

409 Vikram Seth

At the personal invitation of the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Lord Patten of Barnes, Vikram Seth will deliver the Chancellor’s Lecture at The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival.

Indian novelist, travel writer, poet, librettist, children’s author and essayist, Vikram Seth is one of the most versatile writers living today. His new book, The Rivered Earth, is a series of four libretti written to be set to the music of Alec Roth. They are called Songs in Time of War, Shared Ground, The Traveller and Seven Elements. The works are inspired by Chinese and Indian poetry and by the Salisbury home of English poet George Herbert now owned by Seth.

His novel, A Suitable Boy, published in 1993, is one of the longest in the English language at 591,552 words. It is set in post-independence India and follows four families over 18 months as a mother searches for a suitable man to marry her daughter. A sequel, called A Suitable Girl, is due to be published in 2013. Seth has published several volumes of poetry including Mappings and Beastly Tales and a number of works of non-fiction, including From Heaven Lake and Two Lives. He has won many awards, notably the Commonwealth Writers Prize, the Commonwealth poetry prize and the WH Smith Literary Award.

425 Edmund Newell

Every day we make choices. Increasingly, we are faced with a wide range of possibilities: whether it is the type of coffee to drink, television channel to watch or religion to follow. Taking as a starting point the story of Jesus, Martha and Mary, and Jesus’s comment that, in taking the time to stay close to him, it is Mary who has chosen the better part, Edmund Newell’s Choice explores how we can choose the better part when confronted by the bewildering array of choices in our globalised society.

Newell is sub-dean of Christ Church, Oxford and was previously Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and founding director of St Paul’s Institute. He has edited and contributed to many publications including Seven Words for the 21st Century, Seven Words for Three Hours, The Worlds We Live In, What Can One Person Do?, Faith to Heal a Broken World, and Ethics in Investment Banking.

402 Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin lives in Edinburgh and the city forms a backdrop to his Inspector Rebus and Malcolm Fox novels. He wrote the first of his 18 Rebus novels, Knots and Crosses, in 1987. The books have been dramatised for television and translated into 36 languages. He is the winner of prestigious awards for crime writing both in the UK and in the United States.

Though an acknowledged master of the crime genre, Rankin says he did not set out to be a crime writer but rather to be a writer of mainstream fiction. Indeed, his novels have a rich social dimension, portraying a dark and morally complex Scotland, that has led to the coining of the phrase ‘Tartan Noir’.

424 Lisa Hilton

Nancy Mitford’s novel The Pursuit of Love was inspired by her intense and agonising love affair with the Free French commander Gaston Palewski. Author and biographer Lisa Hilton tells the story of the relationship and of the extraordinary post-war times during which it was conducted. Hilton has written a number of biographical works and a novel, The House with Blue Shutters. Her second novel, Wolves in Winter, will be published in April.

‘Nancy Mitford was elegant, clever, witty and exceptionally beady-eyed about the world. So why did she have such awful taste in men? This is the subject of the historian Lisa Hilton’s entertainingly caustic The Horror of Love . . . Her book is not just a crisply written account of their relationship but also something of a manifesto for a more pragmatic, Gallic approach to human relations.’ Daisy Goodwin The Sunday Times

411 Tony Curtis, Jenny Lewis, Jane Draycott

Tokens for the Foundlings is a book launch for the charity anthology in support of the Foundlings Museum in Bloomsbury, recently published by Seren Books. This is a collection of poems about childhood, orphans and families and features many significant contributors from the UK and the USA, including Seamus Heaney, Carol Ann Duffy, Charles Simic and Philip Gross.

The event will feature readings by the editor Tony Curtis, fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a poet with nine published collections and author of critical books and anthologies; by Jenny Lewis, poet, children’s author, playwright, songwriter and screenwriter; and by Jane Draycott, whose most recent collection Over (Oxford Poets) was shortlisted for the 2009 T S Eliot Prize.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

506 John Sutherland

Does it matter whether we know about the lives of authors? Yes, says Professor John Sutherland, emeritus Lord Northcliffe professor of English Literature at University College London and a noted columnist and critic. ‘Literary life and work are inseparable and mutually illuminating,’ he says. His latest book, Lives of the Novelists: A History of Fiction in 294 Lives, takes a comprehensive look at the lives of 294 novelists. It is pithy, witty, opinionated, moving and sometimes hilarious and shocking. He describes authors of many types of fiction, from penny dreadfuls and erotica to gothic horror and high literature. Among the intriguing facts revealed are the name of the writer who penned the first best seller and how often Kenneth Grahame changed his underpants.

513 Jenifer Glyn interviewed by Brenda Maddox

Rosalind Franklin is famous among scientists for her part in the discovery of the structure of DNA, an event that has revolutionised modern biological science. Her sister, writer and historian Jenifer Glyn, takes a full look at Rosalind’s life and shows how much she achieved and how she was influenced by the social and intellectual climate of her time. Here she discusses her sister with critic and Rosalind Franklin biographer Brenda Maddox.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

526 George Magnus

Life expectancy in the developed world is rising by two years with each decade. The older are rapidly outnumbering the younger. But ageing is not confined to Western Europe. In China, Japan and elsewhere, there may not be enough children growing up to become workers to support the rapidly growing elderly population. Different societies treat their older members very differently. Some retire them at 55. For some, retirement does not exist. In some societies, older people are revered, in some, they are, in effect, reviled.

George Magnus is senior economic adviser UBS Investment Bank and was one of very few to see the credit crunch coming in 2007. His recent books, including The Age of Ageing, take a panoramic look at the global dimension of ageing. This, coupled with his critique of emerging economies in his latest book Uprising, puts him in an unrivalled position to lead a debate about where the world is going with its population structures and the economies they support – or not.

In association with AGE UK Oxfordshire

514 Jonathan Fenby

Jonathan Fenby has spent years researching and reporting on modern China. In Tiger Head Snake Tails, he presents a coherent portrait of the most heavily populated country on earth and explains why China matters so much. China will continue to grow in importance, argues Fenby, adding that it is not some giant Ponzi scheme, nor will it rule the world because of its inner complexity and complexes.

Fenby is author of the Penguin History of Modern China. He was editor of the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong between 1995 and 2000 and is China director of the research service Trusted Sources. His other books include The General: Charles de Gaulle and the France He Saved, Alliance and Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the China He Lost.

508 Nick Barratt

Most of us find we have some agricultural labourers among our ancestors. But when we find one in our family line, do we pass quickly on thinking them of no interest? Gray’s poem reminds us ‘let not ambition mock their useful toil’. Noted genealogist Dr Nick Barratt, of the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are, explains why we can take pride in those experienced in rural crafts who fed the nation during the 18th and 19th centuries. He also shares ways we can find out more in the archives about the lives of those workers and sets out to shed more light on their story.

Barratt has written a number of books on genealogy, including Who Do You Think You Are – How to Trace Your Family. He also writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph, The Family Detective.

520 Peter Watson

Historian and former journalist Peter Watson looks at the rise and fall of the great civilisations and what this meant for mankind. He compares the development of humankind in the ‘old world’ and the ‘new’ between 15000BC and 1500AD. Before 15000 BC sea levels were lower, and early humans spread out from Africa to colonise the whole of the planet. With the end of the Ice Age and a rise in sea levels, humans in the old and new worlds grew up unaware of each other until the discovery of America at the end of the 15th century. By comparing and contrasting the separate developments, Watson offers a fascinating insight into what it means to be human.

Watson is a former member of The Sunday Times Insight team. He is now a historian best known for his work on the history of ideas. His previous works include The German Genius and The Medici Conspiracy.

522 John Reynolds, Edmund Newell

The financial crisis has focused unprecedented attention on ethics and ethical failures in investment banking. Investment banker John Reynolds and sub-dean of Christ Church, Edmund Newell, discuss their book Ethics in Investment Banking. Reynolds, who studied theology at Cambridge University, has been described in the media as a ‘world class investment banker’ and ‘exceptionally bright but abrasive’. Newell, who was a research fellow in economic history at Nuffield College, Oxford, was also canon chancellor of St.Paul’s Cathedral and founding director of St. Paul’s Institute.

501 Jodi Picoult

The dreadful decision on whether or not to terminate the life of a loved one is at the heart of Jodi Picoult’s new novel Lone Wolf. It features Luke Baxter, a man driven by his desire to explore the lives of wolves. His decision to leave his wife and children for two years to live with a pack leads to divorce and the break-up of the family. When Luke suffers irreparable brain damage in a car crash, his son Edward, on the advice of doctors, takes the decision to terminate his life. He knows Luke wished to be an organ donor and that in wolf society he would be allowed to die. Edward’s sister Cara, however, is racked with guilt and takes Edward to court for attempted murder.

Picoult is a multi-award-winning US author of 19 novels including Sing You Home, My Sister’s Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart and Handle with Care. She has won wide praise for her compelling works, which combine huge readability with thought-provoking reflections on the human condition. My Sister’s Keeper has been turned into a major film starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin. We are delighted that she is flying in from the States especially to be with us at the festival.

521 Nicolas Sagovsky

T S Eliot’s The Waste Land is a defining text of 20th-century literature. But what do we make of it now? To what extent is it about a post-war wasteland, or about the journey of the human soul? Is it a series of fragments, or one poem with many voices? Why does it have notes? Is it a poem of unrelieved despair, or one with glimmers of hope? Is the joke on us, for taking it so seriously? Nicholas Sagovsky, canon emeritus of Westminster Abbey, where he lectured on ‘T S Eliot and the Human Journey’, continues to struggle with a poem that has haunted him all his life. This event is part of a series at the festival on ‘books I’ve always meant to read’.

503 Helen Dunmore

Helen Dunmore will be talking about the power of the past to imprint itself on the present, until the present is possessed by the past, and discussing her new book The Greatcoat, a ghost story set during and after the Second World War. Dunmore is a poet, novelist and children’s writer. Among other awards her work has received the Orange Prize for Fiction, the McKitterick Prize and the Alice Hunt Bartlett Award. Her poem The Malarkey won the 2010 National Poetry Competition.

511 Nigel Warburton

Nigel Warburton makes difficult philosophical concepts easy with his Little History of Philosophy. The senior lecturer in philosophy at the Open University follows humanity’s quest for answers to some of the big questions: what is reality? and how should I live? Warburton, author of several popular introductions to philosophy, takes a chronological look at key moments in the history of Western thought from the execution of Socrates to the modern animal rights movement. Warburton presents more than a history of ideas, he invites the reader to think for himself.

515 Tim Birkhead

Tim Birkhead has written the first popular book about the senses of birds. If you ever wanted to know what it is like to be a swift and fly at more than 100kph, or what is going on inside the head of a nightingale when it sings, then those questions and many more are answered here. Birkhead has spent a lifetime observing and studying birds. His Wisdom of Birds was widely acclaimed for its grasp of the subject and for its entertaining and informative style.

Birkhead, a professor in the University of Sheffield Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, says we have consistently underestimated what is going on in a bird’s head.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

527 Oxford Poets Walking Tour

Oxford University produced a rich crop of poets in the 20th century – from First World War poets like Robert Graves and Edmund Blunden, through the ‘pylon poets’ of the 1920s and 1930s, such as W H Auden and Louis MacNeice, to Philip Larkin, Keith Douglas and distinguished contemporary poets. That is not to forget, of course, John Betjeman. Enjoy readings from their poetry and prose, from St John’s College to Merton.

502 Helen Berry

The elopement of the famous castrato Giustro Ferdinando Tenducci and his young Dublin singing pupil Dorothea Maunsell gripped Georgian society. Historian Helen Berry tells the story of a scandalous marriage and of the castration of a young boy in a Tuscan hill town. It is a story of ambiguous sexuality, of a relationship that hovers on the wrong side of the law, of a ‘kiss and tell novel’ and ultimately of financial ruin and the collapse of the relationship.

Through Tenducci’s story, Berry, an author and reader in early modern history at Newcastle University, throws light on the meaning of marriage in 18th-century society and examines patronage and the artistic elite.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

509 Kevin Murray & Tim Phillips. Chr John Smythe

Spin and lack of transparency from those heading our organisations is a frequent criticism. Here are two books that cut through the obfuscation to bring clarity to leadership communication. Chairman of Bell Pottinger Kevin Murray interviewed 60 leading chief executives for The Language of Leaders to show how leaders can achieve great results when communicating transparently. In Talk Normal: Stop the Business Speak, Jargon and Waffle, journalist Tim Phillips steers a path to better communication while giving some hilarious examples of the worst excesses of management speak at work. The session is chaired by John Smythe, chairman of Engage for Change and author of The CEO: Chief Engagement Officer. The session is part of a series on leadership at the festival.

512 T D Griggs & Alison McQueen

Two new novels by T D Griggs and Alison McQueen portray the clash of cultures in the days of the British empire. The authors join to discuss writing about the empire in 21st-century fiction and how different cultures interact and collide.

Griggs’s Distant Thunder is set in 1890s Bangalore, Sudan and London. It features Frank Gray, a boy who saw his mother savagely beaten to death by a cavalry officer in Bangalore, and Grace Dearborn, who grows up in a privileged family in England, but comes to realise the true human cost of her family’s fortune. McQueen’s The Secret Children opens in 1920s Assam and tells the story of two girls born to an Indian woman and a colonial father, growing up caught between two different worlds. It is based on the writer’s own family history.

523 Patrick Cockburn, Henry Cockburn

Henry Cockburn was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 20, shortly after he nearly drowned trying to swim across an estuary because ‘the trees had told him to do it’. Henry and his father Patrick, an award-winning journalist, have written an extraordinary account of Henry’s illness and of Patrick’s journey towards understanding the changes it has brought. Patrick writes about schizophrenia’s history and reveals how little we still know about the illness. The book also includes Henry’s own account of his experiences, written from hospital. Together, they provide both a revealing portrait of mental illness and a moving story of a family’s battle to come to terms with it.

Patrick Cockburn has been a Middle East correspondent – for the Financial Times and, currently, for the Independent – since 1979. He has written four books on the recent history of Iraq and has won the Martha Gellhorn prize, the James Cameron prize and the Orwell Prize for journalism.

510 David Frith & Barry Norman Chaired by Duncan Hamilton

With the 80th anniversary of the infamous ‘bodyline’ series approaching, David Frith and Barry Norman look back at the recent history of test cricket and forward to its future. Can it survive as the twenty20 format of the game becomes increasingly dominant?

David Frith is the world’s foremost cricket historian and the author of the award-winning Bodyline Autopsy.

Barry Norman is well known as a television film critic and journalist. He is also a cricket obsessive and author of The Bumper Book of Cricket, which examines every aspect of the game he loves.

Chairing the panel is Duncan Hamilton, author of Harold Larwood: The Authorised Biography and A Last English Summer.

528 H Volans, M Bhaskar Chr A Phillips

Last Christmas in the UK around one million ebook readers and half a million tablet computers were given as presents. Publishers are responding by producing apps and ebooks, some of which have already become bestsellers. What is the digital future for the book in a world where the expectations of both authors and readers are changing fast? A panel of experts give their views on the evolving digital landscape in publishing.

Henry Volans is head of digital publishing, Faber & Faber, where he has produced successful apps such as Solar System and The Waste Land. Michael Bhaskar is digital publishing director at leading independent publisher Profile Books. He is responsible for spearheading their digital strategy, their ebook program, web presence, social media and digital business. The discussion is chaired by Angus Phillips, director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes University. His books include The Future of the Book in the Digital Age (edited with Bill Cope).

Presented by Oxford Brookes University

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

516 Richard Mabey, Paul Farley Chaired by Simon Kövesi

As Richard Mabey has charted in a wide array of celebrated publications, nature writing has always been central to how humans understand the world they live in. But contemporary pressures, problems and possible environmental futures have given such writing a purpose, a necessity and an edge it has perhaps never had before now. Author of Flora Britannica, The Unofficial Countryside and most recently Weeds, Mabey joins poet Paul Farley, co-author of Edgelands: Journeys into England’s True Wilderness, to discuss ‘the most despised and ignored of landscapes’ – nature on the edges, and in the marginal wastelands, of contemporary society.

The event is presented by Oxford Brookes University and chaired by Dr Simon Kövesi, head of English and modern languages at the university.

505 John Crace & John Sutherland

‘One must have a heart of stone not to laugh at the death of Little Nell,’ said Oscar Wilde – but if you have tears (of laughter), prepare to shed them here. John Sutherland, professor, author and critic, joins John Crace, who regularly reduces great literature to size in the Guardian’s Digested Reads and in his Brideshead Revisted book, to take a humorous look at one of our greatest authors, Charles Dickens, on the 200th anniversary of his birth. Both are firm believers that literature should be fun – and here it is.

517 Laetitia Maklouf

Laetitia Maklouf was hailed as a fresh voice on the horticultural scene with her book for novice gardeners, The Virgin Gardener. For a decade, Maklouf did her own gardening on a balcony, in window boxes and inside her flat. Now living in a home with a garden, she tells the story of creating her own first garden in a year. In ten easy steps she sets out to plan, plant and maintain her garden.

Maklouf set out on the road to becoming a gardener after discovering a packet of sweet peas at the bottom of a Christmas stocking. She left an office job to enrol on a course at the Chelsea Physic Garden and has never looked back.

504 Clare Conville, Liz Hoggard & Sarah-Jane Lovett

The authors of Dangerous Women challenge womankind to ‘live as well as you dare’. Through their guide to modern life, they provide some of the answers to what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. Drawing on their own experiences and that of an eclectic range of writers, artists and iconic women, they tackle questions including whether you need to establish the weight of the soul, how to enter a convent, when to ring your lawyer, and whether to plan your wardrobe for a stint in hospital. Above all, Dangerous Women urges you to trust your instinct.

Clare Conville is a literary agent, Liz Hoggard is a columnist and interviewer, and Sarah-Jane Lovett has delivered The Bad Sex Awards and hosted numerous literary salons.

617 Stephen Law

Disturbing, and sometimes dangerous, forms of religious belief are on the rise around the world. We need to be on our guard.

The central aim of Stephen Law’s latest book, Believing Bullshit, is to immunise readers against the wiles of many cultists, creationists, ‘New Age’ faddists, self-styled gurus, psychics and healers and other purveyors of snake oil by providing a ‘How to . . .’ pocket guide to the tricks of the trade. By such means, an impregnable fortress can be constructed around a set of beliefs, rendering it immune to any sort of rational criticism – an intellectual black hole. Law flags up eight main mechanisms involved in producing such psychological fly-traps and reveals how they succeed in imprisoning minds.

Law is senior lecturer in philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London, and Provost of Centre for Inquiry UK. He has written several popular introductions to philosophy including The Philosophy Gym and The Philosophy Files.

Presented by Centre for Inquiry

610 John Welshman, Nic Compton, Frances Wilson

The sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago still resonates deeply. To mark the centenary this April, three writers, Nic Compton, Frances Wilson and John Welshman, give voice to some of those who died in the disaster and to some who lived to tell the tale. An actor will read some of the testimonies at this event.

In his Voices from the Sea, Compton tells the stories of those who have explored the oceans, done battle with the weather and survived shipwreck. Wilson’s highly acclaimed How to Survive the Titanic or the Sinking of J Bruce Ismay tells the story of Ismay, the ship’s owner, who survived after jumping into a lifeboat with the women and children, and then had to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. Welshman reconstructs the stories of 12 individuals who were on the ship the night it sank in Titanic: The Last Night of a Small Town.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

607 P D James Int by Peter Kemp

One of our best-loved crime novelists, P D James weaves her love of Jane Austen and her mastery of the art of detective fiction into her new novel Death Comes to Pemberley. James recreates the world of Pride and Prejudice where we find Darcy and Elizabeth six years into a happy marriage and with two sons in the home. But their perfect world is shattered on the eve of the autumn ball when an uninvited guest rolls up to announce her husband has been murdered. The events reawaken old sins and misunderstandings.

Oxford-born James, who has won awards for crime writing in Britain, America, Italy and Scandinavia, and was made a life peer in 1991, will discuss her new novel with The Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp. She will also explain her passion for the novels of Jane Austen.

624 Peter Frankopan

Peter Frankopan uses new sources to throw fresh light on one of the most written-about events in history, the First Crusade. Frankopan is the first to address the history of the crusade from the point of view of the east, in particular examining the role of the Byzantine Empire and Emperor Alexios I Kommenos. He uncovers close cooperation between Rome and Constantinople and a complex triangular relationship between the west, Byzantium and the Muslim world. And he raises new questions about what provoked western Europe to take up arms in 1096 and why there was a First Crusade at all.

Dr Peter Frankopan is director of the Centre for Byzantine research at Oxford University.

615 Margaret Heffernan

Entrepreneur and author Margaret Heffernan argues that organisations and individuals can become better leaders by facing up to the truth and by managing their strategies around the truth. In one of a series of festival debates around leadership, she discusses the concept of ‘willful blindness’. She looks at what makes humans prone to ‘willful blindness’ – the failure to observe or find out what is really going on – and suggests ways in which individuals and organsations can combat it.

Heffernan’s CV includes spells writing and producing for BBC Radio, as a television producer for Timewatch, Arena and Newsnight, running leading Internet businesses and as a writer.

627 New African Fiction

Our panel will explore recent developments in writing and publishing new fiction from within Africa, particularly in West and East Africa. It will ask if the ‘renaissance in African writing’ is real or whether it remains a perception of the West, encouraged by Western activity such as The Caine Prize for African writing, whose winner is announced annually in Oxford. The panel will offer reader, writer and publisher perspectives – so come ready with your questions for them all.

Muthoni Garland, based in Nairobi, writes fiction for adults and children and has been shortlisted for the Caine Prize. Peter Ike Amadi lives in Lagos, Nigeria, working as a writer and graphic artist. Geoff Ryman, a Canadian citizen, teaches creative writing in Nigeria and at the University of Manchester. Emma Dawson Varughese has edited anthologies of short stories from Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Malaysia. A short story in the Ugandan Collection, Butterfly Dreams by Beatrice Lamwaka, was shortlisted for the 2011 Caine Prize.

626 David Aaronovitch

Our age is obsessed by the idea of conspiracy. We see it everywhere – from Pearl Harbour to 9/11, from the assassination of Kennedy to the death of Diana. David Aaronovitch’s Voodoo Histories entertainingly demolishes the absurd and sinister conspiracy theories of the last 100 years. Aaronovitch reveals why people are so ready to believe in them and the dangers of this credulity.

He explodes the conspiracy theories surrounding the Protocols of the Elders of Zion; Pearl Harbour; the deaths of Kennedy, Monroe and Princess Diana; ‘pseudohistory’ such as the Holy Blood and Holy Grail, the 9/11 Truth Movement; and the moon landings.

Aaronovitch is a writer, broadcaster and commentator on culture, international affairs, politics and the media.

Presented by Centre for Inquiry

608 John Crace & Ed Smith

Can we apply what we learn on the sports field to our everyday lives? Former England cricketer turned writer Ed Smith examines the role of chance in sport and life in Luck, while John Crace, journalist and writer of the Guardian’s witty Digested Reads, describes the highs and lows of being a Spurs football fan in Vertigo. Now Smith and Crace join together to share what sport has taught them about life in a fascinating and funny session that will appeal to those who love sport – and to those who do not.

603 Philip Marsden

The rise of the Cornish port of Falmouth is symbolic of a glorious period of the UK’s maritime history. Acclaimed travel writer Philip Marsden lives in St Mawes, across the bay from Falmouth, and draws on his deep connection with Cornwall to trace the town’s rise to become one of the busiest harbours in the world. In a ‘wonderfully poetic exploration’ (Sunday Times), he evokes the unparalleled power of the sea and writes about its place in the history of Britain.

Marsden, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and Thomas Cook Travel Book of the Year Award, is also author of The Crossing Place: A Journey Among the Armenians, and The Bronski House.

604 Claire Tomalin

Dickens was our greatest novelist, yet the brilliance of his writing concealed a complex and contradictory character. How did he rise from humble origins to become one of the greatest Britons of all time? What drove him to leave his wife for a woman 30 years her junior, and why could he be so generous on the one hand and yet so mean-spirited to his own children on the other?

These are some of the questions explored by highly acclaimed biographer Claire Tomalin, former Literary Editor of the New Statesman and The Sunday Times, whose account of Dickens’ relationship with the actress Ellen Ternan in The Invisible Woman won three literary awards.

609 Bill Heine

Oxford celebrity broadcaster Bill Heine has ended his silence on why and how a giant shark ended up sitting out of the roof of his Oxford home. The shark quickly became an iconic landmark when it was installed 25 years ago. Heine tells of his hilarious and sometimes frightening battles with the planners who wanted the shark removed.

American-born Heine has worked for BBC Radio Oxford since 1983. He is known for speaking his mind and hosts a phone-in show where his listeners are invited to do just the same. He has also written his autobiography Heinstein of the Airwaves.

407 Simon Armitage

Broadcaster, novelist and poet, recipient of numerous literary prizes and awards, as well as the CBE for services to poetry, Simon Armitage has published ten collections of poetry, including Selected Poems (2001), Seeing Stars (2010), and his acclaimed translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (2007). Now he has turned to the alliterative Morte Arthure, with its vivid narrative involving battles on land and sea, partings, swoonings, and dream sequences: this event will centre on his new translation, The Death of King Arthur.

Armitage, whose awards include The Sunday Times Young Author of the Year, also writes for radio, television, film and stage. He has written for more than a dozen television films and pioneered, with director Brian Hill, the docu-musical format. He received an Ivor Novello Award for his song lyrics in the Channel 4 film Feltham Sings which won a Bafta. He recently presented films for BBC4 on Arthurian literature and the Odyssey. In 2011, he was appointed Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield.

NB: This event was originally advertised as taking place on 27 March, but is now taking place on 29 March.

605 Donna Dickenson

It is a truth universally acknowledged - particularly in Oxford - that science and religion are implacable foes. Yet in her new book Bioethics, author and academic Professor Donna Dickenson argues that what really threatens the progress of science is not religion, but rampant commercialisation. It is not Opus Dei that holds patents on human genes: it is private firms, who can use their monopoly to raise prices beyond what the NHS can afford. Using film clips from Frankenstein, Inherit the Wind and The Man in the White Suit, Donna Dickenson will argue that the ‘war’ between God and biotechnology is a diversion from the real threat: Mammon.

611 Lindsey Hilsum

'Renowned television journalist Lindsey Hilsum was in Libya when dictator Muamar Gadaffi met his end at the hands of his own people in 2011. She tells the story of Gadaffi’s bizarre regime from its early days of popular appeal to the paranoia and corruption that characterised its final years. Hilsum, a Royal Television Society Journalist of the Year, follows the stories of five Libyan people, and through them she shows how the Libyan people overcame their fear and rebelled against the regime.

Hilsum is Channel 4 news international editor. She was in Belgrade when NATO bombed Serbia, in Baghdad during the 2003 US invasion and was Channel 4 News China correspondent between 2006 and 2008.

619 Andrew Holgate, Peter Kemp Interviewed by David Grylls

The literary editor of The Sunday Times, Andrew Holgate, and the newspaper’s chief fiction reviewer, Peter Kemp, discuss what it is like to be a literary editor and reviewer. How do they select the books to review? What is the power of the critic? And what influence do they believe they have on whether a book succeeds or not? Both Holgate and Kemp are actively involved in the Oxford Literary Festival as part of their work for our title sponsor The Sunday Times. So, why do they get involved in a literary festival, and why do they think they are important?

Holgate and Kemp will be talking to Dr David Grylls, a fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford, and director of studies for the literature and creative writing courses. His publications include the books Guardians and Angels: Parents and Children in Nineteenth-Century Literature, The Paradox of Gissing, and Dickens: A Viewers’ Guide. He is a regular reviewer of contemporary fiction for The Sunday Times.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

628 New India, New Voice

As India celebrates its 65 years of independence from Britain in 2012, we go to the pages of the growing number of Indian novels written in English to hear the new, emerging voices and in order to better understand this ‘New India’, the India of the noughties and beyond. So what does this new writing say about ‘New India’? This panel will discuss some of the departures in contemporary Indian fiction; crime fiction, chick lit and science-fiction/fantasy, exploring what they say about this rapidly changing nation.

616 Peter Conrad int by David Freeman

Music from Verdi and Wagner will accompany this discussion as cultural historian Peter Conrad talks to literary journalist and broadcaster David Freeman about whether it is possible to like both composers. The two great operatic composers achieved similar things but their personalities and approach to music made them incompatible. Conrad says Verdi and Wagner offer a choice between two kinds of art and two ways of life. And he explains how they each helped to define the identity of their nations.

Conrad is a noted cultural critic. His previous books include A Song of Love and Death: The Meaning of Opera and Modern Times, Modern Places.

618 Richard Harries, Stephen Law

How reasonable, or unreasonable is belief in God? Are there good arguments for the existence of God? Might belief in God be reasonable even in the absence of good arguments? Can a persuasive case be made against the existence of God, for example an argument based on the amount of pain and suffering the universe contains?

Richard Harries was Bishop of Oxford from 1987-2006 and is now Gresham Professor of Divinity. His latest books include Faith in Politics? Rediscovering the Christian Roots of our Political Values and The Re-enchantment of Morality, which was short-listed for the 2011 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological writing.

Stephen Law is senior lecturer in Philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London, and Provost of Centre for Inquiry UK. He has written several popular introductions to philosophy including The Philosophy Gym and The Philosophy Files. His latest book is Believing Bullshit.

Sponsored by Heythrop College University of London

601 Gavin Pretor-Pinney

If you hate ‘blue-sky thinking’ and would rather dreamily contemplate the heavens to see what you can picture in the clouds, this is the event for you. Gavin Pretor-Pinney, creator of the Cloud Appreciation Society, takes a witty look at clouds and the wonderful shapes they form. The beautiful collection of clouds photographed by members of the society includes ones in the shape of dolphins, elephants, UFOs, Alfred Hitchcock and Andy Murray.

Pretor-Pinney is author of the bestselling The Cloudspotter’s Guide and has recently appeared on the BBC’s Coast and The Great British Weather. He also headlined the first Irish Cloud Festival in July 2011. His book The Wavewatcher’s Companion won the 2011 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books.

621 Ritchie Robertson

Taylor Professor of German at the University of Oxford, Ritchie Robertson introduces two new translations of Franz Kafka’s work. A translation by Joyce Crick combines two collections, A Country Doctor and A Hunger Artist, with other uncollected stories, aphorisms and parables. The translation comes with an introduction and notes by Robertson, author of Kafka, A Very Short Introduction. Robertson has also completed a new translation of Kafka’s first novel, The Man Who Disappeared (America), which follows the adventures of young immigrant Karl Rossman in America.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

606 Helen Rappaport

The death of Prince Albert 150 years ago at the age of 42 sent a whole nation into shock and grief. It was a catastrophe for Queen Victoria, who had relied on him utterly, and it defined the last 40 years of her reign.

Oxford-based historian Helen Rappaport examines the circumstances leading up to Albert’s death and offers new theories on what killed him. She looks at the dramatic effect on the nation and examines how Queen Victoria set out to preserve the memory of her adored husband.

Rappaport started out as an actress on television and in films but abandoned acting for history and writing. She is an expert in Russian history and 19th-century women’s history. Her books include Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs and No Place for Ladies: The Untold Story of Women in the Crimean War.

602 Gwyneth Jones & Andy Sawyer

‘Who are we?’, ‘why are we here?’, and ‘what does the future hold?’ Just some questions posed by the British Library’s first exhibition exploring science fiction through literature, film, and illustration from the second century to the latest best-selling novels. Guest curator Andy Sawyer, science fiction collections librarian, Liverpool University, tells how he undertook the difficult task of selecting what to include from this wealth of material. Science fiction author Gwyneth Jones, winner of numerous awards, for her mostly science fiction and near future fantasy with strong gender themes, gives a science fiction writer’s view of this groundbreaking exhibition and what might lie ahead – especially for women science fiction writers.

620 Daniel Kawczynski, Lindsey Hilsum Chr Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

For four decades Gaddafi was absolute ruler of Libya, a country where basic civil liberties were virtually nonexistent, and opposition not tolerated. In recent years, he sought a more open relationship with the countries of the West, touring Europe with his troop of female bodyguards and receiving Tony Blair and other world leaders in his tent. But despite indulging the British and French, the Arab world’s most bizarre dictator was brought down by his own people with the aid of NATO aircraft.

Are we the West hypocritical, motivated by economic and strategic considerations rather than human rights? What does the West do next? Should we try to impose Western democracy in Libya and other Arab countries? Will we stand ready to condemn any human rights violations by the new leadership, regardless of our interests?

These and other questions will be discussed by Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Aitcham, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Libya; and Lindsey Hilsum, author of Seeking Gaddafi and Sandstorm: Libya in the Time of Revolution and Channel 4 News’ international editor, who reported from Alexandria and Cairo on the uprising in Egypt, and from Libya on the 2011 revolt. The discussion is chaired by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, author, columnist and broadcaster.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

625 Anthony Wall

This is the 82nd year in the extraordinary life of the greatest saxophone player in the world – Sonny Rollins. Four decades ago, as a young filmmaker and aspiring musician, Dick Fontaine followed Rollins up onto the Williamsburg Bridge in Manhattan during one of his legendary escapes from the perils of ‘the jazz life’. Today, still resisting stereotype and compromise, and revered by a new generation of young musicians, Rollins continues his single-minded search for meaning in his music and his life.

Dick Fontaine’s film, made for the BBC’s prestigious art series Arena, is built around the explosive energy of Sonny’s 80th-birthday concert, where legendary figures Roy Haynes, Jim Hall and Ornette Coleman, join him to celebrate his journey so far, his music and its future for a new generation.

Film-maker and Arena series editor Anthony Wall will introduce the film. A panel discussion on the extraordinary life and talent of Sonny Rollins will follow. Panellists to be confirmed.

This event will last one hour 30 minutes.

A BBC Arena Bebop Productions co-production

614 Jonathan Arnold, Jim Godfrey

Numbers are limited to 50, and the tour lasts two hours.

Presented by Christ Church Cathedral

729 Marcus Berkmann

Journalist and comedy writer Marcus Berkmann says his new book about men in middle age is about ‘humiliation, loss of dignity, crushing disappointment and aching knees’. But, he adds, although it moans incessantly and loses its temper once or twice, his book is at heart hopeful and optimistic. To compensate for what they have lost, middle-aged men have gained self-knowledge, guile and gravitas, he says.

Berkmann has contributed to a number of newspapers and magazines. He compiles the Dumb Britain column for Private Eye and is credited as one of the writing team for the BBC 3 comedy show Monkey Dust.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

706 Sophia Hillan

The real-life dramas experienced by Jane Austen’s nieces Marianne, Louisa and Cassandra Knight were straight out of a novel by the great writer herself. Author Sophia Hillan follows May, Lou and Cass from middle-class England to famine-ravaged Ireland in the early 19th century. It is a story of elopements, early deaths, years of exile and an unsuitable marriage regarded as so inappropriate it was mentioned in the House of Lords.

Hillan, a former assistant director of Queen’s University of Belfast’s Institute of Irish Studies, tells the extraordinary story of the three women who had Austen as an early companion and teacher. Through it, she uncovers new material on Jane Austen and her family and sheds light on a fascinating period in history.

715 Alvin Hall

Financial guru and renowned broadcaster Alvin Hall explains how to get smarter with our money in these difficult economic times. He presents a beginner’s guide to stocks, shares and other investment choices. Investing in stocks and shares can be a complicated affair, but Hall uses practical examples to simply explain how you can make more informed choices, learn basic techniques to maximise reward, understand your own tolerance to risk and assess what investments suit you best.

Hall is an internationally known financial educator, broadcaster, author and columnist. In the UK, he is best known for hosting for five years the award-winning BBC series Your Money or Your Life, in which he helped people to take control of their finances. Hall lives in New York and is flying over to the UK to be at the festival.

709 Val Bourne

Recognising the struggle to create colour combinations that are suitable to site and soil, and which take gardens through the seasons, award-winning gardener, photographer and writer Val Bourne has created this inspirational source on the use of colour in the garden with tried-and-tested planning schemes suitable for all seasons. Bourne, The Oxford Times gardening correspondent and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph, has also written several 10-minute gardening guides. With summer coming up, this session will give you many ideas for a varied and vibrant planting in your garden.

714 Chocolate is the Word chr James Hawes

‘Chocolate is the Word’ is a unique collaboration between pupils in Year 7 and 8 at the Oxford Academy in Littlemore and MA in creative writing students at Oxford Brookes University. Under the Brookes students’ guidance, academy pupils have devised, written, and will perform here, a series of stories and poems based on chocolate, a theme they have also been studying in their classes.

The event is presented by Oxford Brookes University and chaired by Dr James Hawes, director of creative writing at the university’s Department of English and Modern Languages.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

701 Helena Matheopoulos

Opera is the most theatrical of arts, so it is no surprise that it has inspired top fashion designers such as Girogio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Zandra Rhodes and Gianni Versace to create fabulous costumes. Helena Matheopoulos, a former fashion editor of Tatler and contributor to The Times, Gramophone and Opera Now, profiles ten leading designers working in opera. As well as those already mentioned, they include Marc Bohan, Christian Lacroix, Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, Miuccia Prada, Emmanuel Ungaro and Viktor & Rolf.

Matheopoulos, author of several books on opera, examines the challenge of designing for the opera and looks at the key differences between designing for the catwalk and for the stage.

713 Diana Athill & Joan Bakewell

Diana Athill is one of the most remarkable writers you could hope to meet. She won the Costa Biography Award at the age of 82 for her memoir Somewhere Towards the End. She helped André Deutsch set up the publishing company and worked as an editor at Deutsch for four decades. Added to that, she has written five volumes of highly acclaimed memoirs. Her latest work is Instead of a Book: Letters to a Friend, her correspondence with American poet Edward Field from 1981 to the present day.

In one of a series of events around the theme of ageing in association with Age UK Oxfordshire, she talks to broadcaster, journalist and novelist Joan Bakewell about a life that has been fully lived. Bakewell has criticised the absence of older women on British TV and was appointed as the ‘voice’ of the elderly by the last Labour government. She has had a long and fulfilling career as a broadcaster and journalist, and recently published her second novel at the age of 78.
‘Athill’s memoirs display a vivacious appreciation of the life she has lived and what is still to come’ New Statesman

702 Andrew Lambert

Naval historian Andrew Lambert brings to life a little-known naval conflict between Britain and America in 1812. As Britain focused on the threat from Napoleon, America seized its opportunity to challenge her, invading Canada and attacking British merchant shipping. Lambert tells how Britain emerged victorious, in part thanks to history’s greatest frigate battle when HMS Shannon, under Captain Philip Broke, captured the USS Chesapeake in 13 blood-soaked minutes. Broke’s triumph secured control of the Atlantic.

Andrew Lambert is professor of naval history at King’s College, London. His books include Nelson: Britannia’s God of War; Admirals: The Naval Commanders Who Made Britain Great and Franklin: Tragic Hero of Polar Exploration. His highly successful history of the British Navy, War at Sea, was broadcast on Channel 5.

707 Susan Cain

We live in an age when loud and forceful personalities thrust themselves into the spotlight. As many as one third of us are introverts, however, and are often seen as the underdogs. And yet, introverts have given us the theory of relativity, Van Gogh’s sunflowers and the Apple computer. Writer Susan Cain flies in from her home in the US to lead one of a series of festival events on leadership. She argues that the introverted quiet leader has much to offer.

Cain, who has been a negotiation consultant to many major corporations, shows how the brain chemistry of introverts and extroverts differs. And she offers introverts some tools to help them gain from introspection in their personal and professional lives.

723 Richard Bradford

Richard Bradford’s Martin Amis: The Biography was one of the most controversial books of 2011. In conversation with fellow biographer D.J. Taylor, Bradford discusses some of the difficulties involved in writing the life of a living subject, his view of Amis’s achievements, his relationship with Amis during the time that the book was being written and the occasionally tortuous path from completion to publication.

Bradford is also author of biographies of Philip Larkin, Kingsley Amis and Alan Sillitoe. Taylor has written biographies of Thackeray and Orwell.

727 Homage to Catalonia: The Spanish Civil War

George Orwell fought in the Spanish Civil War 75 years ago, an experience that nearly killed him but was crucial to his later political work and formed the basis of Homage to Catalonia. Our experts look back at the Spanish War, and reflect on the place of this crucial conflict in modern European history.

Helen Graham is professor of Spanish history at Royal Holloway, University of London and author of The Spanish Republic at War and The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction. Paul Preston is professor of contemporary Spanish studies at the LSE and author of We Saw Spain Die and the forthcoming The Spanish Holocaust. Francisco Romero Salvado is a senior lecturer in modern Spanish history and politics at the University of Bristol. The discussion is chaired by Jean Seaton, director of the Orwell Prize.

Sponsored by The Orwell Prize

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

704 Rachel Cusk & Jane Shilling

Writers Rachel Cusk and Jane Shilling have a frank and thought-provoking discussion about some of the issues facing women in middle age.

Rachel Cusk explores the issues that arise for a woman after she has experienced the defining years of femininity in her work Aftermath: On Marriage and Separation: Life After Marriage. She discusses marriage, separation, motherhood, work, money, domesticity and love. Cusk considers the kinds of generational knowledge the contemporary woman harbours, and the terrors or expectations that have been passed down to her and that are refracted through the modern transformation of female status. Shilling, a journalist who writes on books for the Telegraph and Daily Mail, says middle age took her by surprise. The Stranger in the Mirror is an attempt to come to terms with what middle age means for her. She considers whether a revolution is under way as a new generation of women turn 50 and discovers that there is fun to be had in middle age.

728 Jan Zalasiewicz, Mark Williams

Earth is known as the Goldilocks Planet because it is ‘not too hot, not too cold and not too dry’ and so has consistently supported life for more than three billion years. University of Leicester geologists Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams show how Earth’s climate has continuously changed over its 4.5-billion-year history. They demonstrate how geologists are becoming ever more adept at reading the changes in the climate from the evidence left behind, despite some of it being puzzling and often contradictory. Zalasiewicz and Williams map the extreme changes in climate and explain the impact on plant and animal life and on the Earth’s physical appearance.

711 Jeremy Paxman

One of our foremost broadcasters Jeremy Paxman takes a typically forthright look at what the Empire did for the British. He argues that the influence of empire is everywhere. It is there in the very existence of the United Kingdom, in the ethnic makeup of our cities, in the sports we think we are good at and in the architecture of our buildings. It influences our decisions to go to war as well as the way we travel and the food we eat. Paxman, presenter of Newsnight and University Challenge, has written five books. His latest accompanies a major new BBC TV series on the impact of the British Empire.

705 Sasha Dugdale

In Red House, her third collection, Sasha Dugdale evokes the ghosts and presences that flit about on the margins of our lives, finding them at the edge of towns where superstores and allotments blur an older landscape, in Europe where emigrants leave their gods, their neighbours, their memories ‘jettisoned like old clothes’, and across the chalk downs of her native Sussex. Haunted by history, confronted by primal brutalities, the poems in Red House proclaim the fierce, bright authenticity that is ‘all the proof we need that we’re alive’.

703 Bill Cash

A series of Punch cartoons in 1878 featured John Bright alongside Disraeli and Gladstone as one of the three greatest politicians of the age. Unlike Disraeli and Gladstone, Bright’s role has largely been forgotten. Bill Cash, a prominent backbench Conservative MP and descendant of Bright, sets out to put that right. Bright played a central role in most of the important political movements of the Victorian age. He was a founder of the Anti-Corn Law League and played a big part in achieving the abolition of the Corn Laws in 1846. Cash makes links between Bright and the modern Conservative Party and argues that his striving for a vibrant democracy makes him a man for our times.

726 Rosie Thomas

Author Rosie Thomas travelled the same routes as the ancient pashmina trade, crossing the Himalayas from Ladakh to the Vale of Sringar in Kashmir, to research her recent novel The Kashmir Shawl. She spent time in Cairo and the desert as she worked on Iris and Ruby, named 2007 Romantic Novel of the Year. Here she talks about how her love of travel and adventure has inspired her writing.

Thomas has competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, sailed across the Atlantic and travelled the Silk Road through Asia. In this polar anniversary year, she recently recreated Shackleton’s sea journey across the southern ocean to South Georgia, then followed his epic mountaineering journey across the island to the Stromness whaling station.

720 Clare Morgan, Susan Sellers

How might a writer go about rewriting an iconic figure like Virginia Woolf? How might this relate to Woolf’s own attitude to (re)writing life – her own and that of her family and friends? Clare Morgan and Susan Sellers explore these questions through the lens of their own rewritings of Woolf, and their critical engagement with Woolf and other writers.

Clare Morgan’s novel A Book for All and None reveals mysterious and unexpected links between Woolf and Friedrich Nietzsche, which reverberate down to the present day. Susan Sellers’s Vanessa and Virginia imagines the intricate artistic and emotional relation between Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell. How might these novels relate to other ‘remakings’, whether in biography, stage, film or fiction? ‘Fictional Freedoms’ invites the audience to contribute to this consideration of a writer whose ability to compel the imagination of readers, writers and scholars throughout the world remains unabated.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

730 Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson has written the landmark biography of Steve Jobs, the man who gave us the Apple computer, the iPhone and the iPad. Isaacson drew on 40 exclusive interviews to paint a portrait of arguably the most innovative and creative business leader of the modern age. He uncovers the public and private life of Jobs, throwing light on his childhood, the influence of Buddhism, and his drive to explore the intersection of art and technology.

Isaacson, who is flying over from the United States to be at the festival, has written bestselling biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein. He was approached by Jobs to write the biography shortly before Jobs underwent his first operation for the cancer that was to eventually claim his life. Jobs encouraged those who spoke to Isaacson to be open and honest and the result is a book that captures the passions, desires, demons and artistry of its subject.

712 Joan Bakewell

Broadcaster and journalist Joan Bakewell returns to Liverpool for her second novel, She’s Leaving Home. It is the 1950s and Bakewell tells the story of three members of one family, a suppressed mother, a projectionist father working at a rundown cinema and their daughter Martha. Liverpool is on the verge of on an unprecedented era of freedom with Beatlemania and the sexual revolution, and Bakewell chronicles the impact of this new age on the family.

Bakewell is a veteran journalist and broadcaster. She is particularly known for being the main presenter on the BBC’s discussion and documentary series Heart of the Matter between 1988 and 2000. She has written one other novel, All the Nice Girls.

724 Andy Hamilton

Carrot whisky, sloe and damson rum, parsnip sherry and pumpkin beer are all on Andy Hamilton’s menu. Hamilton is an experimental brewer and expert forager who has produced a guide to making wines and beers from vegetables, fruit and foraged plants. All his recipes are cheap, easy to follow and simple to execute, with no need for expensive equipment. And there will be an opportunity to taste the results for yourself.

Hamilton is founder of the Bristol Brewing Circle and runs brewing workshops and an allotment. He writes a ‘wild drinks’ blog for The Guardian online, a foraging column for Home Farmer magazine and features for BBC’s Countryfile magazine and for Kitchen Garden magazine. He is a frequent consultant for TV and radio.

725 Lev Grossman

American writers have been trying for almost a century to move past an idea of the novel that was established by the modernists. With hybrid works – like the fiction of Michael Chabon, Paul Auster, Kelly Link, Jonathan Lethem, Neal Stephenson and Lev Grossman himself – writers are beginning to cross the divide between literary fiction and genre fiction. The old hierarchies are collapsing, and the emphasis on high style is falling away. Storytelling is becoming central to the art of the novel.

Lev Grossman is a journalist at Time Magazine and the author of best-selling novels Codex, The Magicians and The Magician King.

Read more about his talk at www.rai.ox.ac.uk

This event marks the launch of an American literature and culture strand within the festival to be based at the Rothermere American Institute of Oxford University from 2013. The RAI is the foremost academic institution for teaching and research in US culture, history and politics beyond America’s shores.

In association with the Rothermere American Institute.

718 Philip Hensher, Zaved Mahmood, Chaired by James Hawes

Novelist Philip Hensher discusses his new novel Scenes from Early Life with his husband, Zaved Mahmood, on whose early life the work is based. Mahmood was born in Dacca, then in Pakistan, in late 1970. Shortly after his birth, East and West Pakistan split during a vicious war of independence. The war led to millions of innocent deaths and the emergence of a new country, Bangladesh. Scenes from Early Life is part novel, part autobiography and part history of a brutal civil war.

Hensher has published a number of novels including The Mulberry Empire. In 2003 he was listed as one of Granta’s 20 best young British novelists. His semi-autobiographical novel The Northern Clemency was shortlisted for the Man Booker in 2008. Mahmood is a human rights lawyer.

The discussion will be chaired by Dr James Hawes, director of creative writing at Oxford Brookes University’s Department of English and Modern Languages and author of Speak For England, A White Merc With Fins, Excavating Kafka and Rancid Aluminium.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

719 Rupert Sheldrake

Biologist and writer Rupert Sheldrake is the bestselling author of Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home in which he argued there was a connection between animals and humans beyond what science understood. Now, in The Science Delusion, he argues that science is being constricted by assumptions that have hardened into dogma. He says that science would be better off without beliefs that all reality is material or physical; that the world is a machine, made up of dead matter; that nature is purposeless; that consciousness is nothing but the physical activity of the brain; and that free will is an illusion.

Sheldrake, a former research fellow of the Royal Society, examines this dogma from a scientific viewpoint, and says science would be freer and more fun without it.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

708 Simon Jenkins

‘This is English history, not as isolated stories and incidents, but as a linked biography,’ says Simon Jenkins, chairman of the National Trust and author of classic books about England’s best churches and best houses. ‘It was in response to pleas for a return to narrative history, to the core events that shaped the English nation over time.’ From the early dark ages to today’s Coalition Government, the book traces England’s journey through its challenges, tribulations and triumphs. Jenkins focuses on the vital dates, events and individuals, combining a strong narrative thread with telling insights to convey the country’s story in this definitive, concise history of England.

710 Michael Arditti

Novelist and critic Michael Arditti shares his passion for Proust, with whom he has always felt a personal connection. He reveals why he feels this is the greatest novel of the 20th century and why you should read – or return to – this classic about love in its many forms. The nature of love is the subject of Arditti’s latest novel Jubilate. Arditti has written seven novels including Easter, which won the first Waterstone’s Mardi Gras award. He is a regular book reviewer for newspapers and an occasional arts critic for the BBC. This event is part of a series on books ‘I’ve always meant to read . .’

The Cardinall's Musick

The Cardinall’s Musick
Andrew Carwood Director

William Byrd
Mass for four voices
Propers for Easter
Haec dies [a 6 1591]
Holy Saturday Vespers
In exitu Israel
Angelus Domini
Mane vobiscum
Post dies Octo
Deus in adjutorium
Mass for four voices, Propers for Easter and other works

William Byrd remains one of our greatest composers. Here, his solemn Lenten music is delivered with impeccable craftsmanship and heartfelt expression. This group’s complete Byrd choral recordings have won it an unprecedented number of Gramophone awards. The atmosphere and acoustic of St Barnabas in Jericho are perfect for this penitential seasonal music.

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Dancin' Oxford Festival Pass

dancin' Oxford Festival pass entitles you to the following benefits:

£1 discount on various festival events and workshops*

Free Entry to the Dancin'Oxford Festival Club.

Updates about future dance activity in Oxford

Special offers throughout the year.

*Subject to availability.

824 Andrew Weale

Ages 4-6

You have never met anyone like Nora Fatima Buffet. Join her and author and Oxford classics graduate Andrew Weale on a guzzle-icious romp as Nora gobbles up ice cream and mushy peas with a side order of all the things in her room. There will be lashings of slides, film, interactive fun and the chance to win a brilliant Nora prize. So knives and forks at the ready for a yum-ptious feast that will take you out of this world.

807 Rowan Williams

Eliza Griswold, an award-winning investigative journalist and poet, spent seven years travelling in the area between the tenth parallel and the equator. In each country she visits, she asks whether it is possible to determine where faith ended and secular violence began, and she wonders what role religion has played in struggles over resources and power.

In conversation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, she explores the relationship between faith and secular power, and the conflicts over religion, nationhood and resources that will define the future of our world. The Tenth Parallel is her first book and it was a New York Times bestseller. Griswold writes for a number of US journals and newspapers including The New York Times and Harper’s Magazine.

815 Sherard Cowper-Coles

Sherard Cowper-Coles is one of the UK’s most distinguished diplomats. His most recent roles included being British ambassador to Kabul and the Foreign Secretary’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. This frank, highly praised and often opinionated memoir provides a unique insight into policy in Afghanistan, and looks at where Britain has gone wrong. He pays tribute to the work of our soldiers, but wonders whether it will be enough to secure a stable Afghanistan. Cowper-Coles explains how we got into Afghanistan and how we might get out. This is a trenchant and very important book.

‘Vividly portrays the plight of an envoy who really cared about his brief, and felt unable to keep silent about looming failure in a vital region where western intervention has been bungled,’ Max Hastings, Sunday Times

821 John Guy

Award-winning historian John Guy throws new light on the relationship between Thomas Beckett and Henry II as he brings to life one of the biggest figures in British history. Guy shows how Beckett rose from an unremarkable middle-class background to become the most powerful man in the kingdom after the king and how he was then elevated to sainthood within a year of his bloody murder.

Guy suggests that Beckett and Henry were never great friends during the early stages of his career, contrary to the way history perceives them. He uncovered a list of books in Becket’s library while he was in exile, giving him an insight into his subject’s ambition and thinking at that time. Guy’s previous works include My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots, winner of the 2004 Whitbread Biography Award.

809 Noo Saro-Wiwa

Noo Saro-Wiwa describes the Transwonderland amusement park as the nearest thing Nigeria has to Disneyland. The rides are rusting and covered in weeds – but they are working. Saro-Wiwa, the daughter of murdered anti-corruption activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, sets out to capture the country of contrasts that is Nigeria in the 21st century. She was brought up and educated in the UK, returning every summer to Nigeria, until the death of her father.

She crossed Africa in her role as a travel writer for 15 years but did not return to Nigeria until 2007, ten years after the death of her father. Saro-Wiwa rediscovers the chaos and the beauty of a country her father loved so much.

820 Bettany Hughes

Historian, author and broadcaster Bettany Hughes has spent the last 20 years bringing the past vividly to life. In The Hemlock Cup she reimagines the world of Socrates and of classical Athens. She follows Socrates across Greece and Asia Minor and looks at new archaeological discoveries that shed light on the times. The Hemlock Cup was Book of The Year in The Times, The Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Independent, The Independent on Sunday and BBC History Magazine, and was a New York Times bestseller.

Hughes is a research fellow of King’s College, London. She was chair of the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011 and has been given a special award by the Greek government for her contribution to Hellenic culture and heritage. Her first book, Helen of Troy, Goddess, Princess, Whore, has been translated into ten languages. Hughes has also made a number a number of factual films for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery, The History Channel and National Geographic.

832 Inspector Morse Walking Tour

Mention Oxford, and dreaming spires, colleges and quadrangles come to mind, plus, of course, Inspector Morse. The television series featuring John Thaw was based on the novels of Oxford writer Colin Dexter and remains immensely popular worldwide. Morse and Sergeant Lewis encounter heads of houses, dons, murderers and criminals in the course of their detective work – pausing only for a pint or two in a favourite pub. This walk visits the scenes of some of the best known cases of Inspector Morse.

804 Elif Shafak

Elif Shafak is the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in Turkish and English, and her novels blend elements of East and West, feminism and tradition, and Sufism and rationalism. Above all, Shafak is a storyteller. She talks of the art of storytelling and argues that imaginative fiction can connect all of us, regardless of identity politics. Shafak’s 2006 novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, resulted in charges being brought against her for ‘insulting Turkishness’. They were later dismissed.

Shafak’s eighth novel, Honour, was released in Turkey in July and will be published in the UK in April. It is the story of a half-Kurdish half-Turkish immigrant family set in 1970s London.

817 Justine Picardie

Justine Picardie has spent the last decade puzzling over the truth about Coco Chanel, attempting to peel away the accretions of romance and lies. In her full-scale biography we finally discover the history of the incredible woman who created the way we look now.

Coco Chanel was an extraordinary inventor – she conjured up the little black dress, bobbed hair, trousers for women, contemporary chic, best-selling perfumes, and the most successful fashion brand of all time – but she also invented herself, fashioning the myth of her own life with the same dexterity as her couture. While Chanel was supreme innovator and vendor of all things elegant and beautiful, what lies beneath her own glossy myth is darker.

Justine Picardie was features director of British Vogue and is now fashion columnist for Stella. She is the author of four books, including her acclaimed memoir If the Spirit Moves You.

822 Clara Vulliamy, Emma Chichester Clark

Ages 3-7

Meet fabulous illustrators Emma Chichester Clark and Clara Vulliamy and join this delightful duo as they introduce two irresistible new picture book series, Wagtail Town from Emma, and Martha and The Bunny Brothers from Clara. Hear how they find their inspiration, and join in with fun and crafts.

814 Simon Brett & Sophie Hannah

Crime writers Simon Brett and Sophie Hannah debate the respective merits of the gory new school and the cosy old school of murder mysteries. Brett and Hannah are both regulars at the celebrated Mystery and Crime Weekend held every August at St Hilda’s College, Oxford.

Brett is author of the Charles Paris, Mrs Pargeter and Fethering series of crime novels. His TV and radio writing includes No Commitments and After Henry. Hannah has written five internationally bestselling psychological thrillers Little Face, Hurting Distance, The Point of Rescue, The Other Half Lives and A Room Swept White.

801 Eileen Battersby

Literary critic Eileen Battersby foregoes the world of modern fiction to celebrate two of the greatest loves of her life – her dogs Bilbo and Frodo. The two became her loyal companions for more than 20 years and were more important to her than most other humans. She describes their personalities, emotions and prejudices with passion and insight. Battersby explains why, for some people, there is more integrity in the relationship with an animal than there is in most of the relationships that human society can offer.

Battersby is literary correspondent of The Irish Times and has been reviewing fiction since 1984. She has also written on all aspects of the arts.

808 Anthony Horowitz int by Peter Kemp

A new Sherlock Holmes novel more than 80 years after the death of his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a major literary event. Even more so when it has been written by Anthony Horowitz with the full endorsement of Conan Doyle’s estate. Horowitz, the creator of the hugely popular Foyle’s War TV series and author of the bestselling Alex Rider children’s spy novels, is the first writer to receive the support of the estate for a new Sherlock Holmes novel.

Horowitz will discuss his new novel and his lifelong love of the Sherlock Holmes stories with The Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp. The author says he first read the Holmes mysteries at the age of 16 and has read them many times since. The House of Silk stays true to the spirit of the originals and resurrects many familiar characters such as Inspector Lestrade, Mrs Hudson and the Baker Street Irregulars.

Horowitz, who has written more than 50 books and whose extensive TV writing includes Midsomer Murders, Hercule Poirot and Collision, will also talk about his immense love of 19th-century literature.

823 Chris Wormell

Ages 3-6

Acclaimed picture-book artist Chris Wormell, of George and the Dragon, The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit, introduces Eric, a little boy who sometimes gets things wrong. But Eric learns that, while you cannot be good at everything, sometimes it takes a little time to find out what you are good at. And when a huge monster stomps down the mountain to Eric’s village, Eric just might have his chance to shine. This event features live illustration and input from the children.

Jesu, meine Freude & Orgelbuchlein Project

The Orgelbüchlein Project, conceived by William Whitehead, will 'complete' Bach's unfinished collection of Chorale Preludes. The 118 blank pages in Bach's manuscript, on which he carefully inscribed a Chorale title but left no music, are being filled in one by one with new compositions, each one based on the given Chorale. The finished 'Gesamtorgelbüchlein' will be a snap-shot of international compositional styles at the start of the 21st Century, a kaleidoscopic collection of miniatures in homage to Bach. John Caldwell's new prelude receives its first performance and Whitehead finishes his contribution with two of Bach's finest Preludes and Fugues. The College Choir ends the programme with the funeral motet Jesu, meine Freude.

830 Kathy Lette

Novelist Kathy Lette draws on her personal experience of Asperger’s for her heartwarming and hilarious new novel The Boy Who Fell to Earth. It is the story of a mother, Lucy, her autistic son Merlin, and Lucy’s attempts to return to dating some years after husband Jeremy left her and Merlin in the lurch. Things do not go to plan, and then Jeremy arrives back on the scene begging for forgiveness.

Lette has won acclaim for her comic novels and the way they speak directly to women. Her 10 titles have been published in 14 languages. Lette’s many TV appearances include ones on Loose Women, BBC Breakfast, Newsnight and Sky News. She is also a regular on BBC Radio 4.

805 Gavin Stamp

Edwin Lutyens is widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest architects. His country houses are visited by hundreds of thousands every year. Gavin Stamp, one of our finest writers on architectural history, delves into the archives of Country Life
to look at 22 houses from all stages of Lutyens’s career. They include Goddards, Middleton Park, Lindisfarne Castle, Castle Drogo and the Viceroy’s House in New Delhi. The archive material includes 200 stunning photographs. Lutyens had a close relationship with Country Life that extended to designing the magazine’s offices in Covent Garden.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

812 Ben Macintyre

Times columnist and associate editor Ben Macintyre will talk about his latest work, which is yet to be released. Macintyre is author of eight previous books including Agent Zigzag, the story of the wartime double-agent Eddie Chapman, and the number-one bestseller Operation Mincemeat.

818 Jewell Parker Rhodes

Hurricane is the conclusion to US author Jewell Parker Rhodes’s award-winning Voodoo-inspired mystery trilogy. Dr Marie Levant is the great-great granddaughter of Marie Laveau, the 19th-century Voodoo queen in the first of the trilogy, historical novel Voodoo Dreams. Levant has achieved fame herself after saving New Orleans from a vampire. Now, as she searches for answers to some strange deaths in a backwater town, a hurricane threatens to break the levees of Louisiana. Rhodes weaves the themes of medicine, shamanism, corporate crime and environmental devastation into a spine-tingling mystery.

Rhodes will be speaking about her first children’s novel, Ninth Ward, also based on the events of Hurricane Katrina, at a second festival event. Her adult books, including Voodoo Dreams and Douglass Women, have won awards such as the American Book Award and the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence.

813 Andy Briggs

Tarzan celebrates his 100th anniversary in 2012, and Andy Briggs has set out to retell the classic story but in a contemporary setting. His Tarzan is a little edgier and more untamed. And he has to deal with some modern dangers, including guerrillas, armed poachers, illegal logging and the desecration of the environment. The story features some of the classic Tarzan characters. Jane appears as a modern technology-savvy 14-year-old girl who is thrown into the jungle world.

806 Raymond Tallis

Not everything we do can be explained by neuroscience and evolutionary theory, argues renowned neuroscientist, philosopher and fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Professor Raymond Tallis. He fears that government social policy is increasingly being informed by the notion that the physical processes of the brain, not our conscious mind, directs our actions. Tallis, former professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Manchester and now a full-time writer, exposes the faulty philosophical foundations of biologically-based thinking and its attempts to explain criminality, art, economic behaviour and religious belief.

Neuroscience is making astounding progress and will help us to manage brain diseases, says Tallis, but it has a dark companion in neuromania – the belief that human consciousness and behaviour can be reduced to purely neural terms.

831 The State of Education

Historian Bettany Hughes, who campaigns for the teaching of classics in schools, newsreader Zeinab Badawi, a trustee of the new University of the Arts, and Baroness Gillian Shephard, former secretary of state for education, share their passions and experience in a discussion on the state of education, chaired by The Sunday Times Magazine editor Sarah Baxter. All four are graduates of St Hilda’s College, and this event is part of the St Hilda’s Day at the festival.

825 Derek Landy

Age 10+

Derek Landy is the creator of the bestselling, comic and action-packed crime/horror/fantasy adventure series about smart-talking skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant and his erstwhile schoolgirl sidekick Valkyrie. The first book won the Red House Children’s Book Award, the second, Playing with Fire, was the Irish Children’s Book of the Year, and the sixth, Death Bringer, is now out in paperback. Landy is coming all the way from Ireland to talk about his own adventurous life, and the inspirations behind the series.

803 Robert Harris

Best-selling thriller writer Robert Harris steps into the topical and murky world of high finance for his latest novel The Fear Index. Here he talks to The Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp about the book, which features a revolutionary form of artificial intelligence that tracks human emotions and can predict movements in the financial markets. It has made its creator Dr Alex Hoffman rich, but his world and the financial markets are about to be thrown into turmoil.

Harris has written eight popular novels, including Archangel, Enigma and The Ghost. His first novel, Fatherland, is about to be released in a 20th-anniversary edition. Many of his works have been turned into films for TV or the big screen. He is currently working on a screenplay of The Fear Index.

827 Jeanne Willis

Ages 6-10

Come and get in the mood for this year’s Olympics and meet the Downtown Dinosaurs. They are the stars of a new series by award-winning Jeanne Willis, one of the funniest authors around, who has written more than 80 children’s books. The Dino-Olympics involve Darwin Stigson, a brave young Stegosaurus, as quick in his thinking as he is on his scooter; Flint Beastwood, the gangster-like T-Rex, never without his side-kicks Mr Cretaceous and Terry O-Dactyl; Dippy Egg, the Gallimimus; and Boris, the remarkably familiar-looking mayor. Plus, you will get to handle some real dinosaur bones, and even put your dinosaur questions to Flint Beastwood himself.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

811 Alastair Hazell & Dan Lyndon

Dr John Kirk and Walter Tull are names that may not be well known to you. They are just two of the many people that are hidden heroes of history. First-time author Alastair Hazell brings to light the role of the retiring Dr John Kirk in abolishing the slave trade in The Last Slave Market.

And did you know that Walter Tull, grandson of a slave, was a double pioneer? – the first black professional football outfield player in England and the first black infantry officer to take command of white troops during World War I. Tull is the hero of Dan Lyndon, a teacher and author of the Black History series for Hachette, who reveals his story in Walter Tull: Footballer, Soldier, Hero. Hazel and Lyndon will be recovering many other heroes from the hidden pages of history.

833 Is Diplomacy Dead?

Donald Rumsfeld and the White House sidelined their experienced and able American diplomats – a major factor in the Iraq disaster. Downing Street and ‘sofa government’ turned a deaf ear to what they did not want to hear. Probably what was, in Britain’s case, the best diplomatic service in the world found itself overstretched, under-resourced and uncertain. Do we still need diplomacy? What is its future? And what makes a good diplomat?

To tackle these questions, we have on our panel Sherard Cowper Coles, former British ambassador to Kabul and author of Cables from Kabul: Inside Story of the West’s Afghanistan Campaign. The discussion is chaired by Sir Leslie Fielding, whose own diplomatic career has taken him from Cambodia in the 1960s to Paris, Brussels and Tokyo.

810 William Boyd

William Boyd introduces his new novel, Waiting for Sunrise, a love story and a thriller about secret intelligence set in Vienna just before and during World War I, and discusses its themes of Freudian psychoanalysis, suspicion and betrayal. Boyd, a former tutor at St Hilda’s College, is author of ten novels including A Good Man in Africa, An Ice-Cream War, Brazzaville Beach, Any Human Heart and Restless. His awards include the Whitbread Prize and Somerset Maugham Award. This event is part of the St Hilda’s College media day.

819 Emrys Westacott

American philosophy professor Emrys Westacott challenges us to rethink conventional wisdom about our everyday moral behaviour. He argues that the five common vices of rudeness, gossip, snobbery, bawdy humour and disrespect are an important part of our daily interactions. There are times, he says, when rudeness may be needed to help someone with a problem or to get across an important message. Gossip can foster intimacy and curb power, and dubious humour can ease existential anxiety. The Virtues of Our Vices is both funny and philosophically sophisticated.

Westacott is professor of philosophy at Alfred University, New York. He is co-author of Thinking Through Philosophy: An Introduction.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

If booking 5 or more events in one transaction, please select the 5 or more price-type when booking, to receive 15% discount (not available on all events). This discount cannot be applied retrospectively.

834 The Road to Wigan Pier: 75 years on

A classic of reportage, Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier and the experiences he wrote about were critical in the development of his political views and his commitment to democratic socialism. Our panellists make the journey back to the 1930s, and recount their own experiences of following in Orwell’s footsteps, accompanied along the way by Orwell biographer, D J Taylor.

Journalist and broadcaster Stephen Armstrong is author of the forthcoming The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited. Journalist, broadcaster and playwright Beatrix Campbell wrote Wigan Pier Revisited in 1984. Historian Juliet Gardiner is author of The Thirties: An Intimate History, and The Blitz and Wartime: Britain 1939-1945, which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. Paul Mason is the economics editor of BBC Newsnight. He was part of the Newsnight team awarded a Special Orwell Prize in 2007. DJ Taylor is a novelist, biographer and critic. His George Orwell: The Life won the Whitbread Biography Prize.

802 Rebecca Stott

Darwin was not the first to speculate about the origin of species. Among the many letters of both praise and outrage that he received on the publication of his theory of evolution was one that accused him of failing to acknowledge the work of his forbears. Novelist and historian Rebecca Stott tells the story of those predecessors who dared to advance similar theories at a time when it was incredibly dangerous to do so. The story goes back as far as Aristotle and includes Leonardo da Vinci’s search for fossils in Tuscany and Diderot’s explorations under the watch of the French secret police.

Stott, professor of English literature and creative writing at the University of East Anglia, was shortlisted for the Jelf First Novel Award and Society of Authors First Book Award for Ghostwalk. She has written eleven books including three works on history of science.

816 Ben Macintyre & Kim Newman

Becky Sharp, Ripley, Flashman – all villains, but ones for whom we have a sneaking admiration. What makes a villain alluring? Ben Macintyre, journalist, historian and author, explains the attraction of Eddie Chapman – named Agent Zigzag by M15 – who was irresistible to women, and convincing to spymasters in both the UK and Germany. Chapman was both a villain and a hero of World War II. Macintyre’s book Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman: Lover, Betrayer, Hero, Spy was recently turned into a BBC documentary. Writer, critic and journalist Kim Newman, author of the Anno Dracula series, recently chose the ‘10 top literary villains’ to mark the launch of his book Moriaty – the Hound of the D’Urbervilles. His own favourite is probably Dracula.

Loewe: Passion Oratorio

Loewe was known as 'the Schubert of North Germany' and today is best known outside Germany for lieder. His Passion Oratorio demonstrates that he also wrote music of searing emotional depth and drama. Although written in 1847 the Oratorio owes much to Bach, particularly the St Matthew Passion, in its chorales and recitatives. It weds the earlier music tradition with mid-nineteenth century conventions to form a deeply moving and lyrical rendition of the Easter story.

Thiis is the first performance in Britain of Carl Loewe's Passion Oratorio.

Also featuring The Orchestra of Stowe Opera, and conductor Robert Secret.

'Desolata Est'

Sospiri
Christopher Watson Conductor

The Lord is good Cecilia McDowall
O vos omnes Pablo Casals
Lamentations Dominique Phinot
Ye that passeth by Benjamin Britten
Lamentations John Duggan
O vos omnes Pablo Ortiz
Lamentations John Mundy
O vos omnes Ralph Vaughan Williams
Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst Rudolph Mauersberger

A sublime programme contrasting settings of The Lamentations of Jeremiah with O vos omnes, words from the Reproaches of Good Friday. Sospiri, well known for their singing of Gregorian chant and renaissance music, are fast establishing a place amongst Oxford's finest mixed-voice choirs.

927 D J Taylor & Sadie Jones

Two award-winning writers, D J Taylor and Sadie Jones, discuss the art of writing historical mystery – the importance of atmosphere and characterisation and of creating a storyline for modern readers whilst authentically recreating the past.

Taylor’s new novel Secondhand Daylight is set in the 1930s and follows struggling writer James Ross in Soho as Mosley’s Blackshirts prowl the streets. It is the sequel to At The Chime of a City Clock which won praise for its evocation of the sleazy side of 1930s London.

Jones’s latest novel The Uninvited Guests is a mystery set in an Edwardian manor house in 1912. Her first work The Outcast won the Costa First Novel Award and was praised for its portrayal of the repressive social climate of the 1950s.

931 Clare Beaton

Age 3-6

Clare Beaton has illustrated more than 25 books in fabric collage using felt, fabrics, buttons, sequins and other bric-a-brac.

She will be bringing original artwork and showing you how to create your very own fabric collage picture. Based on her popular book, Secret Seahorse, dive down amongst the sparkling seas and hide a seahorse amongst the fronds!

907 Janie Hampton

When the Olympics came to London in 1948, post-war Britain was in an economic crisis far worse than today. Blending Heath Robinson improvisation with the spirit of Ealing Comedy, competitors brought their own towels, slept in schools and travelled by Underground. Despite food rationing and terrible weather, great Olympians such as Emil Zatopek and Fanny Blankers-Koen attracted cheering Londoners to Wembley Stadium.

Janie Hampton’s meticulous research brings the era of ‘Make-do and Mend’ to life with songs, anecdotes and original artefacts. The Austerity Olympics was shortlisted for the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year and was described by Peter Kemp of The Sunday Times as ‘incredibly heartening….absolutely fascinating.’

Bert and Dickie, a film starring Matt Smith based on this book, is the BBC’s contribution to the Cultural Olympiad.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

913 Tom Holland

Historian Tom Holland chronicles the end of the ancient world ruled over by the Roman and Persian empires and the rise of Islam. In the sixth century, the Near East was divided between the two ancient empires, but 100 years later it was the Arabs that ruled. Holland examines how this happened. He uncovers the dramas and the horrors of this age and portrays the remarkable leaders who played a part in the transformation.

Holland is the author of three other acclaimed works of history, Rubicon, Persian Fire, and Millennium: The Ending of the World and the Forging of Christendom. He has also written a number of novels.

921 Matthew Flinders

Have we, the public, become ‘democratically decadent’, taking for granted what the democratic process delivers for us? Why have we become distrustful of politicians and disillusioned about their power to deliver change and resolve social concerns? Matthew Flinders, professor of politics at the University of Sheffield, tackles these issues head on. He argues that democratic politics delivers far more than people acknowledge or understand. And he says the media, public, pressure groups, academics and politicians are part of the problem but also part of the cure.

Flinders has written a number of books on politics and government. He has acted as an adviser to the government of Thailand, and recently recorded a three-part series, In Defence of Politics, for BBC Radio 4.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

928 Inspector Morse Walking Tour

917 Anne Tyler int by Peter Kemp

This is a very rare opportunity to see and hear the hugely popular Pulitzer-prize-winning US author Anne Tyler in the UK. Tyler is flying over from the US specially to talk to The Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp about her new novel, The Beginner’s Goodbye, due to be published in April, and to accept the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence from the newspaper’s literary editor Andrew Holgate.

The Beginner’s Goodbye is a story about love and marriage and about two people so close they cannot be separated by death. Dorothy dies in an accident, leaving Aaron bereft. He keeps himself busy working for the family publishing firm, and then Dorothy starts to appear in the strangest places, at first for a short while, and then for longer. They talk and then they argue.

Tyler lives in Baltimore, where her novels are set. Her works include the Pulitzer-Prize-winning Breathing Lessons and a series of bestsellers, including The Accidental Tourist, Saint Maybe, Back When We Were Grown-ups, The Amateur Marriage, Digging to America and Noah’s Compass. She has twice been shortlisted for the Orange prize and was shortlisted for the International Man Booker in 2011.

Gould Piano Trio

Gould Piano Trio
Lucy Gould – violin
Alice Neary – cello
Benjamin Frith – piano

Janacek (Kreutzer Sonata arr. piano trio)
Dvorak Piano Trio in G minor

Season tickets are also available: £108 adults, £96 concessions. This covers all concerts between 8th January 2012 - 1st April 2012. To book a season ticket please call 01865 305 305

916 Kristina Stephenson

Ages 5-7

Join bestselling author/illustrator and festival favourite Kristina Stephenson for a wonderful hour of interactive musical storytelling based on her latest book Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Tale of the Terrible Secret, complete with hilarious songs and silly sound effects.

923 Anthony Sattin

Journalist and acclaimed writer on history and travel Anthony Sattin returns to the festival to talk about two centuries of travel by westerners to Egypt.

In his work A Winter on the Nile, Sattin follows the 19th-century journeys in Egypt of Florence Nightingale and French novelist Gustave Flaubert. They both arrived in the country at the same time and before they shot to fame, one as a saviour of wounded soldiers and the other as the writer of Madame Bovary. Lifting the Veil tells the story of western travellers to Egypt from the explorer James Bruce in 1768 to the 1956 Suez Crisis.

Sattin is a journalist, broadcaster and writer whose main interest is the Middle East and Africa. He is a regular contributor to The Sunday Times travel and books pages. His TV appearances include the BBC series The Tourist and The Thirties in Colour.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

919 Andrew Gibson

Have you ever put this epic book aside as a ‘maybe later’? A conversation with Andrew Gibson will transform your understanding of the book by putting it into its historical context and explaining its purpose. Gibson is a former trustee of the International James Joyce Foundation, permanent advisory editor to the James Joyce Quarterly, and director for 26 years of the London University seminar for research into Ulysses and its author. His works include two Oxford University Press books, Joyce’s Revenge and The Strong Spirit, which is published in 2012. This event is part of a series on ‘books I’ve always meant to read’.

903 Bryan Appleyard

Smart phones track our movements, automatic call machines demand answers and offer us options, and social networks steal away our information. Machines are changing the human species, argues The Sunday Times journalist Bryan Appleyard, stripping away natural human complexity and replacing it with a barren simplicity.

But Appleyard also celebrates the human complexity that cannot be read by a machine, in particular the way that poetry and art can illuminate the human imagination. He reflects on interviews with Bill Gates, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Marilynne Robinson, Shigeru Miyamoto, Nassim Nicholas Taleb and many others. The child of a scientific family, Appleyard has written extensively about science and art, and The Brain is Wider than the Sky is for lovers of both.

922 Andrew Motion

Former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion discusses Silver, his eagerly awaited sequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Silver is due to be published in April and picks up the story in 1802 at an inn run by Jim Hawkins and his son young Jim. Young Jim is visited by a mysterious girl called Natty who has a request from her father, Long John Silver. The pirate wants the pair to sail to Treasure Island in search of silver, and so the pair set off in the footsteps of their fathers to meet with some thrilling adventures.

Sir Andrew was poet laureate from 1999 until 2003. He is professor of creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London, and was knighted for his services to literature in 2009. He has published many works of poetry, biography and fiction. His most recent works include The Cinder Path, a collection of poems; Ways of Life: On Places, Painters and Poets, a collection of essays; and In the Blood: A Memoir of my Childhood.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

910 Katherine Rundell

Age 9+

Katherine Rundell is the author of The Girl Savage and the youngest fellow at All Soul’s College, Oxford. Come along and hear her talk about how books are made, from first sitting down with a head full of ideas to the fantastic fun of writing blurbs. She will discuss why poetry is better than coffee, where ideas might come from – her best ones happen when she is doing handstands against the wall – and why she begins each day with a cartwheel. Because, in fact, reading is almost exactly the same as cartwheeling: it turns the world upside down, and leaves you breathless.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

909 Steve Bloom & Gill Lewis

Steve Bloom, distinguished wildlife photographer, and Gill Lewis, author of the acclaimed children’s novel Sky Hawk, offer a spectacularly illustrated double presentation for lovers of animals and birds about the creatures that have inspired their work.

Bloom was born and raised in South Africa but now lives in the UK. He is the author of many photography books including Living Africa and Spirit of the Wild, and his latest children’s books My Favourite Animal Families. Sky Hawk, which has been nominated for the 2012 Red House Book Awards, is Lewis’s first novel. It is a wildlife adventure that tells of the battle to protect an osprey through the eyes of children.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

904 Penelope Harper

Little Lollipop and her Grandpa are intrepid explorers, always on the lookout for the next adventure. On a safari round their back garden, they find all sorts of exciting things – there are Chimpan-trees, a Hippo-potta-compost, even a Croco-logus! Come and listen to author, broadcaster and storyteller Penelope Harper reading their stories, then help her make and decorate a giant garden for Lollipop and Grandpa.

Suitable for children aged three to seven

901 Bill Manley

An understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs brings to life a world of fascinating monuments, kings and ancient society. In this two-hour masterclass aimed at anyone 12 or over, renowned Egyptologist Bill Manley takes a fresh and accessible approach to this ancient language, explaining the mysteries of hieroglyphs without jargon or technical terms. He assumes no knowledge of grammar or ancient languages and will guide you through inscriptions on a series of stelae, tombs and objects.

Manley has taught Egyptology and hieroglyphs for 20 years and is the author of several bestselling books on ancient Egypt.

912 Simon Scarrow, Alex Scarrow

Age: 10+

Simon Scarrow has written many novels for adults set in Roman times. The second book in his new young adult series, Gladiator: Streetfighter, is now out, just as his brother Alex’s young-adult science-fiction series Time Riders has a new volume also venturing into ancient history, Gates of Rome.

Come along to an exciting event where both the Scarrows talk about the latest books in their adventure series. Get the low-down on the brothers and their books as they take it in turns to grill each other, followed by a high-octane, dynamic Great Big Roman Quiz.

906 Ali Bader / Inaam Kachachi / Samuel Shimon

Three leading Iraqi authors debate the impact of war on their country and its effect on the nation’s cultural identity exactly nine years on from the allied invasion. Ali Bader, Inaam Kacachi and Samuel Shimon are all prestigious writers and have recently published novels that reflect on the state of the nation.

Bader, an author of ten novels who has previously been longlisted for the Arab Booker, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, recently published The Tobacco Keeper. In it, a journalist and former member of Saddam’s army returns to Baghdad to try to uncover the circumstances surrounding the death of a celebrated violinist.

Kachachi’s The American Granddaughter was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2009. It features an Iraqi-American who returns to her homeland as an interpreter for US forces and finds herself torn between competing allegiances. Kachachi was born in Iraq but now lives in France. She writes for Arabic newspapers and has previously written three books.

In Shimon’s An Iraqi in Paris, a young Iraqi writer sets out to become a Hollywood film maker but ends up as a refugee on the streets of Paris. Shimon is an Assyrian writer who was born in Iraq. He is assistant editor of BanipaI, the leading magazine of Arabic literature in English.

920 Rachel Hore, D J Taylor Chr Katy Guest

‘A book that will change your life’. Words that often appear on book covers today. But is it really possible for any book to have a life-changing effect on its reader? Independent on Sunday literary editor Katy Guest poses this question to novelist, biographer, reviewer and critic D J Taylor, and to novelist Rachel Hore, who teaches publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Then it will be over to you the audience to share your experiences of books that affected your life – and also of those that did not live up to the promise on the cover.

902 Alain de Botton

Essayist Alain de Botton says the supernatural claims of religions are entirely false, but religions have much to teach the secular world. He steps into the sometimes acrimonious debate between atheists and believers and argues that atheists and agnostics should stop mocking religion. Instead, they should steal from religions the good ideas they have on how we should live and how we should run our communities. De Botton, whose works have been described as ‘a philosophy of everyday life’, says religion can help us to foster our relationships, to get more out of art, and to overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy.

929 Literary Oxford Walking Tour

Explore Oxford colleges and landmark buildings in the company of the poets A E Housman, A C Swinburne, Edward Thomas and Robert Bridges, as well as writers such as Dorothy Sayers, Graham Greene, Kingsley Amis and Barbara Pym – not forgetting JRR Tolkien and Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson). The walk starts at St John’s College, where Housman and Philip Larkin were undergraduates, and finishes at Christ Church.

905 Peter Carey

One of the greatest living authors Peter Carey talks to The Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp on the eve of publication of his new novel, The Chemistry of Tears. This is a rare opportunity to hear the twice-Booker-winning author – and one not to be missed by festival-goers. Publication of Carey’s new novel is a landmark literary event and follows the huge success of his last novel, Parrot and Olivier in America. The Chemistry of Tears is a rich tale with historical themes. Based in present-day London and 19th-century Germany, it follows museum conservator Catherine Gehrig as she mourns the loss of her lover of 13 years. Tasked with bringing a 19th-century mechanical creature back to life, she discovers the notebooks of the man who originally commissioned it. The stories are interwoven and together explore the mysteries of human invention, love, feeling, life and death.

At the end of this event, Carey will be presented with the Bodley Medal by Bodley's Librarian, Dr Sarah Thomas. The medal is awarded by the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the worlds of culture, science, and communication. Past winners include writer and actor Alan Bennett, film director Lord Richard Attenborough and inventor of the world wide web Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

908 Jon McGregor

Acclaimed author and travelling salesman Jon McCregor will use photos, videos, maps and a suitcase full of props to perform and tell a selection of stories from his new book This Isn’t The Sort Of Thing That Happens To Someone Like You. Short stories in the collection centre on events that you may not imagine happening to you, but sometimes do. A woman is almost killed when a sugar-beet crashes through her windscreen; a boy sets fire to a barn; a father is arrested when he tries to watch his daughter’s nativity play; and a pair of labourers sit by a lake, talking of shovels and sex, while fighter planes fly overhead in preparation for war. The stories are delicate, dangerous and sometimes deeply funny. McGregor, winner of the Betty Trask Prize and Somerset Maugham Award, is author of three novels, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, So Many Ways to Begin and Even the Dogs.

Please note: For Oxford Literary Festival, postage must be selected at payment (UK addresses only. For non-UK bookings, tickets will be available from the Christ Church Marquee box office during the festival). All tickets will be posted out from 8th March. Physical tickets will not be available before this date.

918 Michael Winner

Michael Winner has directed some of the biggest names in film and has counted many of them among his friends. These include Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson, Robert Mitchum, Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, Faye Dunaway, Anthony Hopkins and even OJ Simpson. Winner’s ‘one man show’ about his life has been running since 1966 – he has simply added to it as time and life has moved on.

He recalls his career with the help of entertaining and funny stories and anecdotes. There will be no question and answer session at the end of this event – he prefers to bring in the audience for questions and repartee during the course of it. As he says to his organisers: ‘Just tell them who I am or that I am about to start, then leave the rest to me, please.’

Winner has directed many British and Hollywood films, including the Death Wish series, Scorpio, Hannibal Brooks and The Nightcomers. He is a regular on television today including on a series of insurance advertisements and as a panellist on Have I Got News for You. He also writes a regular column for The Sunday Times. Referring to the one man show, one writer in The Sunday Times described Winner as ‘the most amusing man in a profession full of awful people.’

915 Declan Kiberd Chr Eoin Flannery

Declan Kiberd is the Donald and Marilyn Keough Professor of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, where he teaches in the English department and Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies. He is one of the leading international authorities on the literature of Ireland, both in the English and the Irish languages, and has authored numerous influential articles and books, including: Synge and the Irish Language, Men and Feminism in Irish Literature, Inventing Ireland, Irish Classics, The Irish Writer and the World, and, most recently, Ulysses and Us: The Art of Everyday Living on Joyce’s masterpiece.

The event is presented by Oxford Brookes University and chaired by Dr Eóin Flannery, of the university’s Department of English and Modern Languages.

914 Blue Peter Book Award

Age 7+

The children’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival reach their grand finale in the hall that was the model for Hogwarts Hall in the Harry Potter films. The four shortlisted authors in the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award will tell you about their outstanding books – Liz Kessler’s time-travel story A Year Without Autumn; Gareth P Jones’s hilarious tale of a teenage werewolf, The Considine Curse; Simon Hart’s timely and fascinating Countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games; and the eyebrow-raising Discover the Extreme Planet, presented by its editor Amanda Askew.

Bach: St John Passion

Charivari Agréable
Christopher Watson Evangelist
Giles Underwood Christus
Carys Lane Soprano
Jeremy Kenyon Alto
Paul Smy Tenor
Christopher Borrett Bass
Benjamin Nicholas Conductor

Perhaps the most expressive and immediate of Bach’s Passion settings, the St John Passion’s lacerating account of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ finds Bach at his most operatic. A distinguished group of soloists join the College Choir and the period Oxford-based ensemble Charivari Agréable.

St John Passion

Bach
St John Passion

Oxford Philomusica takes on another of the great Baroque oratorios in a performance of Bach’s intensely-felt and personal St John Passion – a perfect musical celebration of Easter.

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Cecilia Stalin Quartet

Swedish jazz artist CECILIA STALIN is a talent not to be overlooked. Her music, explores genres including hip-hop, nu-jazz and bop/swing. A stunningly versatile voice is her trademark, and envelops a wide spectrum of feelings and emotions. From intimacy and fragility, to great will and power. Will-power is most definitely a virtue that has helped Cecilia to achieve success with the many collaborations and recordings that span her career so far. Her delivery of mellifluous gems truly brings forth the virtues of well-crafted and inspirational sounds.

The Ashmolean Dining Room will be making a very special menu available on the evening to those wishing to dine during this performance. More at www.oxfordjazzfestival.com

For all events in the Oxford Jazz Festival click here

Larkin's Jazz

An all star band led by trumpeter Ian Smith and bassist Alyn Shipton explores the connections between the Oxford poet Philip Larkin and jazz. Cast in the role of Young is his biographer, the well known broadcaster and author Dave Gelly, playing clarinet and tenor sax. On piano is Colin Good, well known to Oxford audiences for his long tenure with the big band Vile Bodies, and now keyboard player for Bryan Ferry. Alyn Shipton is the presenter of BBC Radio's long-running Jazz Library, Euan Stewart is one of London's finest drummers, and Ian Smith has led bands in and around Oxford as well as being a recognized authority on English poetry of the last century.

Enjoy a 5* cream tea during this performance with Homemade Scones, Preserves and Clotted Cream.

For all events in the Oxford Jazz Festival click here

Abram Wilson Quartet

Multi-award winning New Orleans trumpeter and vocalist Abram Wilson is one of the leading jazz trumpeters in the UK today. With trumpet playing reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis and the vocals of Sammy Davis Jr. and Chet Baker, Wilson has created a unique and captivating style of melodic compositions that swing and groove. Charismatic on stage and off Abram Wilson’s musicality exudes warmth, passion, virtuosity and soul. Abram will be joined for this performance by Alex Davis on double bass, Dave Hamblett on drums and Reuben James on piano.

Vibrant, confident, and just damn exciting....THE INDEPENDENT

Truly astonishing...A fiery, colourful trumpeter and a gracefully cajoling soul singer, Wilson is a definite hot ticket.... THE GUARDIAN

For all events in the Oxford Jazz Festival click here

New York Standards Quartet

The New York Standards Quartet (Pianist Dave Berkman, Drummer Gene Jackson, Tenor Saxophonist Tim Armacost) will delight audiences with their irresistible variations on standard jazz repertoire, including songs from such greats as Jerome Kern, Jimmy Van Huesen, and Cole Porter. The Quartet is joined by guest bassist Michael Janisch; a prominent newcomer on the international jazz scene, who has performed with Sir John Dankworth, Kenny Wheeler, and John Taylor, amongst others. Described by the Guardian as “one of the UK’s most exciting new improvisers”, the show promises to be a toe-tapping evening of the best melodic jazz sounds, played live on the Playhouse stage.

*£1 per ticket booking fee applies (max £5)

For all events in the Oxford Jazz Festival click here

Adderbury Ensemble Winter Series 2012

Thursday 26 January
David Lepage – Director/Solo Violin
Ian Wilson – Recorder

Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusic
Vaughan Williams – Oboe Concerto
Dvorak Serenade for Strings

Thursday 8 March
Soloist – Viv Maclean – Piano
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1
Mendelssohn String Symphony
Holst St Paul’s Suite
Britten Simple Symphony

Thursday 12 April
Lucy Wakeford – Harp
Julian Sperry – Flute

Mozart Symphony No 40
Haydn Symphony No 44
Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Arne Richards & The Oxford Concert Party

The Oxford Concert Party celebrates its’ 20th Anniversary! Described as ‘one of the most entertaining, ground-breaking groups around’ (Oxford Times), the OCP has been delighting audiences with their repertoire drawn from 300 years of music from around the world beautifully played and infused with humour, energy, passion and pathos. Be it Vivaldi, Piazzolla, French café music, Argentinian tango, Irish laments or Finnish polkas, this ‘bunch of superb musicians’ (Daily Telegraph) create a rich, colourful, expressive sound, and their vibrant virtuosity, zany and off-beat humour make for an unforgettable performance. Join us on this special evening.

Tribute to Francesca Caccini (1587-1645)

A multimedia show of Francesca Caccini’s music, juxtaposed with that of contemporaneous musicians. Besides being the daughter of Giulio Caccini, Francesca was well regarded in her own right as a singer and poet and was one of the most prolific female composers known. Indeed, she is often cited as being the first woman to write an opera. This was at a time when it was unusual for someone of her standing to be seen in public, never mind perform on the public stage or make an international name for herself. These social mores are reflected in Francesca’s defiant virtuosic flourishes which she tempers with the new trend to emulate the declamatory style of the Ancient Greeks.

Daniel Norman (tenor), William Dazeley (baritone) & Sholto Kynoch (piano)

Tenor Daniel Norman and baritone William Dazeley join pianist Sholto Kynoch to perform a charming programme of songs by Hugo Wolf, including settings of Heine and Reinick.

This concert will be recorded for release on the ‘Oxford Lieder Live’ label, as part of the Complete Wolf Songs project. Volume 4 in the series will also be released at this concert.

Joan Rodgers (soprano), Roderick Williams (baritone) & Roger Vignoles (piano)

Two of today’s best-loved singers join forces with leading accompanist Roger Vignoles in a glorious programme of songs by Schumann, Brahms, Wolf and Mahler. A rare chance to hear these three wonderful performers grace the platform together.

This recital is generously supported by Jesus College and the Kohn Foundation.

Karina Lukas (mezzo-soprano) & Sholto Kynoch (piano)

2012 marks the centenary of the birth of Kathleen Ferrier, one of the most famous singers of all time. In this recital, rising-star mezzo Karina Lucas and Sholto Kynoch pay tribute to Ferrier’s vitality and musicianship with a programme of some of the songs she was most famous for. A delightful end to this spring weekend of song!

Oxford Philomusica Chamber Series April

Mozart
Piano and Wind Quintet in E flat major, K. 452

Nielsen
Wind Quintet, Op. 43

Marios Papadopoulos piano
Soloists of Oxford Philomusica

Oxford Philomusica’s first dedicated series of chamber music concerts will take the form of early evening hour-long concerts at Oxford’s Maison Française, featuring the distinguished principal players of the Orchestra: the Soloists of Oxford Philomusica.

Tickets £18 to include a glass of wine

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Beethoven String Quartet Series Holywell Music Room

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

DoubleDuo feat. Allami-AlKhatib-Hbeisch-Piccioni (Iraq/Palestine/Italy)

Individual, inventive and energetic oud player Khyam Allami returns to Oxford with his new project. His passion for music has led him on a remarkable journey from childhood in Damascus to the stage of the BBC Proms. In this new work, he uses the concept of 2x2 (or DoubleDuo) as his inspiration. Khyam’s exceptional oud playing is paired with highly respected Palestinian oud player Ahmad Al-Khatib. Outstanding percussionist Youssef Hbeisch (as featured with Le Trio Joubran) is paired with Italian frame drum master Andrea Piccioni. The music explores the explosive and harmonious music that results from oud and percussion playing in harmony and against each other.

"[Khyam Allami’s] compositions are utterly bewitching." Songlines

Springtime Baroque

Handel – Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Vivaldi – Spring
Bach – Concerto for Oboe d'Amore
Pachelbel – Canon
Vivaldi – Concerto for Three Violins
Bach – Violin Concerto in E

Roland Roberts – Director/Violin
Tim Watts - Oboe

Our vivacious Baroque spring greeting leads from the joyful Arrival of the Queen of Sheba through two of Bach's most beautiful concerti, and ends the season on a suitably high note.

“Mad scampers on the violin, dextrously played by Roland Roberts.”
- Oxford Times

Cushion Concert - Drum Kit

FUNomusica Family Concert - Intergalactic Adventure

Alasdair Malloy presenter

Journey into space with astronaut Alasdair Malloy as we rocket through the solar system on a musical adventure. On our voyage of the universe we’ll visit the planets, explore the moon, and maybe even encounter an alien, as the Philomusica performs music from all your favourite Science Fiction shows. Come dressed in your best outer space gear for a truly intergalactic experience!

Pre-concert craft activities at 2pm. Concert suitable for ages 4-10 but the whole family is welcome. Concert ends 4pm.

In partnership with Oxford City Council

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Cushion Concert - Drum Kit

The Britten Oboe Quartet

At his debut at the BBC Proms in 1992, the Quartet’s leader, Nicholas Daniel, was described as one of the greatest exponents of the oboe in the world. Today one of the UK's most distinguished soloists and a successful conductor, he is an ambassador for music and musicians in many different fields.

Note: All those under the age of 25 will be admitted free of charge at the door

Craig Ogden guitar

Craig Ogden guitar
Music by Albeniz, Gary Ryan, Miroslav Tadic, 18th century Catalan composer Fernando Sor and composers Francisco Tárrega, Jay Ungar, Roland Dyens and William Lovelady from Craig’s Classic FM discs
Craig Ogden is one of the world’s finest guitarists. His laid back, effortless, natural brilliance means an evening of superlative guitar playing is guaranteed. Massive CD sales, work in film music and crossover have not distracted him from his serious commitment to exploring every aspect of the classical guitar repertoire.

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Beethoven String Quartet Series Holywell Music Room

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Rohan de Saram (cello) and Jonthan Powell (piano)

Rohan de Saram is a world-renowed cellist and the JdP is delighted that he is coming to Oxford to perform works by Fauré and Mendelssohn with pianist Jonathan Powell.

“His profound insight into the music, sovereign mastery of the instrument and huge concentration gave listeners a night they will never forget.” (Review of Rohan de Saram by Jaroslav Stastny, Contempuls 2008).

Oxford May Music Festival 2012

Now in its fifth year, Oxford May Music returns with its authoritative mix of concerts from some of the leading musicians performing in the UK today and exciting lectures from experts in their fields. Science, music and the arts meet in creative harmony.

The festival runs from May 2nd – 7th, with a format of lectures generally starting at 5:30pm and recitals at 8:00pm. The first two days of the Festival will be held in the Jacqueline du Pré Music Room, the remainder of the festival in the Holywell Music Room. This year’s lecturers include TV star Patricia Routledge and Oscar Winner Dario Marianelli, Professor Sir Michael Berry on the beauties of light, as well as lectures on the amazing Nanoworld, how the brain ages and the British constitution. A stellar array of musicians includes musician in residence Bengt Forsberg, the Navarra String Quartet with Guy Johnston, the Kungsbacka Piano Trio, His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts, clarinettist Michael Collins, Vicky Sayles, Simon Oswell, Jesper Svedberg, Fournier Award winner Mikhail Nemstov and Elena Nemstova, Piers Lane, Alexander Zemstov, Ben Hughes, Jamie Walton and of course our artistic director, Jack Liebeck. For information on becoming a Patron of Oxford May Music, contact Brian Foster on brian@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk. For more details see www.oxfordmaymusic.co.uk

Optica Fantastica

Seas sparkle, sunshine generates rainbows, ships make waves. The explanations of these familiar phenomena are as abstract as elsewhere in physics, but pictures are helpful because in light and water waves we can often see what we are talking about. There are other optical phenomena that are not immediately perceived (associated with polarization or fine-scale interference, for example), but even with these we can generate pictures to help our understanding. Poets and novelists, as well as painters, have sometimes represented optical phenomena in ways that are surprisingly close to those of physicists.

Lectures are free when booking a ticket for that evenings concert.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Navarra Quartet

Navarra String Quartet:
Magnus Johnston (violin); Marije Ploemacher (violin); Nathaniel Boyd (cello);
Simone van der Giessen (viola)

with Simon Oswell (viola) and Guy Johnston (cello)

J. Haydn: String Quartet in G Major, Op.76 No.1
A. Dvorak: String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op.97, with Simon Oswell, (viola)
F. Schubert String Quintet in C Major, D596, with Guy Johnston (cello)

The Navarra Quartet kick the Festival music off with the quartet in G, Op. 76 No 1 from Haydn, father of the genre and are then reinforced, first by a second viola in Dvorak’s lyrical quintet Op. 97 and then with an extra cello for one of Schubert’s greatest masterpieces, the Quintet in C.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

The Ageing Brain

Paul Bolam talks about the ageing brain, both healthy ageing and age-related neurological disorders. While forgetting names seems an inevitable and natural consequence of ageing, there are many disorders where the strongest risk factor
is age. These include Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and Parkinson’s disease: strategies for treating the latter, both current and new, will be discussed.

Lectures are free when booking a ticket for that evenings concert.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Beethoven String Quartet Series Kidlington

Friday February 10
Beethoven String Quartets op 130, op 18 no 4, op59 no 2

Friday March 2
Beethoven String Quartets op 131, op 18 no 2, op 59 no 1

Thursday May 3
Beethoven String Quartets op 132, op 18 no 1, op 95

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Michael Collins

Jack Liebeck, Victoria Sayles (violins), Simon Oswell (viola),
Jesper Svedberg (cello), Michael Collins (clarinet),
Bengt Forsberg (piano)

W.A. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K581
I. Stravinsky: “Soldiers Tale” Suite, arranged for violin, clarinet and piano
A. Berg: Chamber Concerto: 2nd Mov., arranged for violin, clarinet and piano
J. Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114

Clarinetists were responsible for catalysing a spurt of inspiration towards the end of the careers of both Mozart and Brahms. Starting with one of Mozart’s greatest compositions, the Clarinet Quintet, we travel through Brahms’ Clarinet Trio to Stravinsky’s masterpiece the “Soldier’s Tale” and a movement from Berg’s Chamber Concerto. The clarinet takes centre stage, played by one of its finest living exponents, Michael Collins.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

The British Constitution

Peter Scott, one of this country’s most distinguished corporate lawyers and a former chairman both of the Takeover Panel and the Trustees of the National Gallery, investigates the intricacies of the British constitution. He will discuss how it developed, how it changes and addresses that most controversial of all constitutional questions: should we have a written constitution?

Lectures are free when booking a ticket for that evenings concert.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Merton College Choir

Ben Nicholas & Peter Phillips Directors

Victoria, Bruckner, Skempton, Taverner & Dubra

Follow our series of annual performances at Merton as this dynamic new choir works its way to the creation of the
Merton Song Book, by commissioning music from outstanding composers of our day. This concert features three miniatures
created for the choir by Howard Skempton, Sir John Taverner and the Latvian composer Rihards Dubra and ever popular
works by Tomas Luis da Victoria and Bruckner.

For patrons who are wheelchair users or limited mobility Music at Oxford offers 50% discount for themselves and a companion (Sheldonian Theatre only). Available only through Music at Oxford 01865 244806.

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount. Chapel Series Discount: Book all 3 Chapel Series concerts and get a 10% discount (cannot be combined with other discounts).

Kungsbacka Trio

Kungsbacka Piano Trio:
Malin Broman (violin); Jesper Svedberg (cello); Simon Crawford-Philips (piano)

J. Haydn: Trio in F-sharp minor, Hob. XV:26
G. Fauré : Trio in D minor, Op.120
H. Watkins: Lento, from Piano trio
L. van Beethoven: Trio in B-flat Major, “Archduke”, Op. 97

One of the world’s most distinguished piano trios presents a programme that spans the whole genre. An elegant Haydn trio, just recorded by the Kungsbacka’s on Naxos, begins the programme, leading into a late atmospheric masterpiece, Faure’s Op. 120. The Lento from Huw Watkin’s impressive Trio was composed in 2009. The Kungsbackas end with perhaps the most famous Trio of all, Beethoven’s “Archduke”.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

The Nanoworld

Nanotechnology and nanoscience have huge potential for transformation in many aspects of our lives.
We are interacting with this nanoworld through touch. The atomic force microscope builds up images by feeling structures as small as atoms with an exceeding sharp probe. The holographic assembler allows us to manipulate and feel micro- and nano-structures through optically trapped probes acting as finger tips, opening up exploration in biology and medicine.

Lectures are free when booking a ticket for that evenings concert.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

"Grand Tour"

HMSC, as they are affectionately known, is one of the UK’s most prominent Baroque ensembles. They take us on a “Grand Tour” covering two centuries and four countries – England, Italy, Spain, and Germany - with music from William Byrd, Peter Phillips, Giovanni Gabrieli, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Bartolomeo de Selma, José Ximénez, Johann Schein, Samuel Scheidt and others- an ideal introduction to the emotional and technical variety of the best early wind music.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Fournier Concert

Mikhail Nemstov (cello) Elena Nemstova (piano)

C. Franck: Cello Sonata in A major
D. Shostakovich: Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
G. Fauré: “Apres un Reve” Op. 7 No. 1

Continuing our long-standing association with the Pierre Fournier Award, we are pleased to introduce the 2011 Award Winner, Mikhail Nemstov with his sister Elena. His programme concentrates on the romantic and modern era, with Franck’s famous violin sonata transposed for the cello and Shostakovich’s monumental cello sonata. Fauré’s elegiac “Apres un Reve” completes the programme.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

“Admission – one shilling”

“Admission: One Shilling”

Patricia Routledge - narrator
Piers Lane – piano

Award-winning actress Patricia Routledge and international concert pianist Piers Lane tell the extraordinary story of Dame Myra Hess in her own words. With piano music by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Schumann and Chopin, we hear how the ‘great adventure’ of these 1600 lunchtime concerts in the National Gallery began, and how it continued while bombs rained down on London.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Dario Marianelli

Dario Marianelli, having won an Oscar for his soundtrack to blockbuster movie Atonement and a Golden Globe for Pride and Prejudice, has become one of today’s most famous and respected film composers. Fresh from his most recent triumph with the score of the film “Jane Eyre” (solo violin: Jack Liebeck), he discusses his craft with eminent music critic Michael White of the Daily Telegraph.

Lectures are free when booking a ticket for that evenings concert.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival Finale

Jack Liebeck, Victoria Sayles (violin)
Simon Oswell, Alexander Zemtsov (viola)
Benjamin Hughes, Jamie Walton (cello)
Bengt Forsberg (piano)

F. Bridge: Lament for two violas
G. Fauré: Piano Quartet No.1 in C Minor, Op. 15
F.A. Kummer: Duet for 2 cellos Op. 103 No. 1
M. Moszkowski: Suite for two violins and piano in G Minor, Op. 71
P. Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D Major, “Souvenir de Florence”, Op. 70

The final gala concert is rather a Noah’s Ark, with instruments coming in two by two. The haunting Lament by Frank Bridge is for two violas; little-known Kummer impresses with a sparkling duo for cellos and Moskowski’s virtuosic suite for two violins enters last. In between comes the early and charming Piano Quartet Op. 15 by Fauré and the Festival concludes with Tchaikovsky’s extraordinary “Souvenir de Florence” for string sextet.

Cavatina Ticket Scheme: Free tickets for 8 - 25 year-olds can be reserved by emailing tickets@oxfordmaymusic.co.uk
or calling 01865 273323 or are available on the door. Subject to availability

Festival pass for all lectures and concerts: £80 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Festival "3-for-2" pass - 3 concerts and 3 lectures of your choice: £40 - Call 01865 305 305 to book.

Hero's Life

Richard Strauss
Four Last Songs
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40

Marios Papadopoulos conductor

The achingly beautiful Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss, written in the sunset of his years, provide the final chapter of a life-long love affair with the soprano voice. They contrast perfectly with the swagger of his earlier, thinly-veiled autobiographical depiction of a hero’s life – replete with a vicious dismissal of music critics!

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Jonathan Powell (Piano)

Listening to Albéniz’s Iberia one cannot help but be transported to the Iberian Peninsula. Described by Messiaen as the ‘masterpiece of Spanish music’ it is full of Spanish colours, sounds, and rhythms, as well as being one of the hardest piano pieces in the repertoire. Watch and listen as Powell makes light of the rhythmic complexity, harmonic richness, and bravura piano writing in what promises to be a very memorable performance.

The Dream of Gerontius

This is a setting of John Henry Newman's 'The Dream of Gerontius' by Julien Chilcott-Monk (rather than Sir Edward Elgar) and arranged for two actors - Robert Hardy as Gerontius and Neil Nisbet as the Guardian Angel - and 'a cappella' chorus with percussion. The chorus and soloist take the parts of the assistants, the demons, the angels, the priest, the souls in purgatory, and the angel of the agony.

Beethoven String Quartet Series Holywell Music Room

Please note these concerts are not suitable for Under 5s.

Harriet Mackenzie & Morgan Szymanski

Harriet Mackenzie violin
Morgan Szymanski guitar

Da Falla suite Populaire Espagnole (El Pano Moruno, Asturiana, Cancion, Nana Jota)
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances
Agustin Barrios Mangore An Alm for the Love of God (solo guitar)
Ponce Estrellita (arr. M. Szymanski)
Paganini Sonata No. 12, Op3, No 6
Piazolla Histoire de Tango

Harriet recently won outstanding reviews as one of the most vivacious young talents at the South Bank Centres
young musician showcase 'Fresh'. We're very glad to welcome her to Exeter College Chapel with Mexican-born
guitarist Morgan Szymanski for an evening of sparkling duo music.

Ticket numbers are limited in this lovely and popular venue, so early booking is strongly advised.

For patrons who are wheelchair users or limited mobility Music at Oxford offers 50% discount for themselves and
a companion (Sheldonian Theatre only). Available only through Music at Oxford 01865 244806

Arve Henriksen and Trio Mediaeval

Incredible trumpeter Arve Henriksen and the Grammy nominated vocalists Trio Mediaeval come together with a mix of Norwegian folk and mediaeval music, commissioned contemporary music and improvisation.

‘Arve Henriksen may play the trumpet, but in reality he is what the late Gil Evans once called Miles Davis - "a sound innovator"’ The Observer

‘these three voices blended with a supernatural clarity and beauty’ New York Times (Trio Mediaeval)

The Sixteen Choral Pilgrimage 2012

Featuring arguably the three most celebrated composers from the Franco-Flemish school of the Renaissance, this programme is centred around movements from the staggering 10-part Missa Et ecce terrae motus by Brumel (the 'Earthquake Mass'). After Josquin, Brumel is considered one of the greatest composers of his generation. Lassus, writing some 30 years later, was clearly influenced by both composers and he is known to have performed as a singer in the Brumel mass.

Concert Programme

Josquin
Praeter rerum serium
O virgo prudentissima
Huc me sydereo

Brumel
Gloria from Missa Et ecce terrae motus
Sanctus from Missa Et ecce terrae motus

Lassus
Magnificat super Praeter rerum serium
Aurora lucis rutilat
Timor et tremor
Magnificat Octavi Toni super Aurora lucis rutilat

Lore Lixenberg and Gregory Rose 2

“Lixenberg is not just a good singer, she is a deeply theatrical performer, who constantly transgressed the boundaries of musical performance, inspired by Cage, with ease and astonishing results”. S & H Review, Jean Martin, 2004

Do not miss this incredible opportunity to hear renowned performers of contemporary music, Lore Lixenberg and Gregory Rose perform Cage’s The Songbooks I at the JdP.

Beethoven

Beethoven
Triple Concerto in C major for violin, cello and piano, Op. 56
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Carmine Lauri violin
Peter Adams cello
Marios Papadopoulos piano/conductor

Beethoven’s Triple Concerto is tailor-made for the ‘in-house’ talents of the Philomusica as Music Director Marios Papadopoulos is joined by the Orchestra’s principal string players. The composer’s best known symphony is guaranteed to bring the concert to an exhilarating end.

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Benjamin Grosvenor & Oxford Philomusica

Grieg
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16

Orff
Carmina Burana

Benjamin Grosvenor piano
London Symphony Chorus
(chorus master Joseph Cullen)
Marios Papadopoulos conductor

Fast-rising star Benjamin Grosvenor joins the Philomusica in one of the most overtly romantic piano concertos ever written. The programme is completed by Carl Orff’s colourful setting of medieval mores – life lived to the full under the inescapable shadow of fate.

Sponsored by members of Oxford University to celebrate Dr Richard Lerner’s achievements in science and support of Oxford University

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Philharmonia Orchestra

Martyn Brabbins conductor
Julian Lloyd Webber cello

Vaughan Williams Overture - the wasps
Delius Cello Concerto
Elgar Symphony No 1

We are so delighted to see the Philharmonia back again to close this season, and with what a programme! An English summer feast with an English condfuctor and leading English soloist to add to the mix. Julian Lloyd Webber's recording of the Delius cello concerto was described as 'a version to treasure' in Gramaphone magazine, a plaudit not often offered and hard to ignore.
Martyn Brabbins and the Philharmonia have a strong affinity for this repertoire and the combination of orchestra, conductor and soloist should allow us to leave the Sheldonian for this season in great style.

For patrons who are wheelchair users or limited mobility Music at Oxford offers 50% discount for themselves and
a companion (Sheldonian Theatre only). Available only through Music at Oxford 01865 244806

Via the Ticket Office 01865 305 305 : Book 6+ Music at Oxford concerts in one transaction OR a group of 10+ and get 15% discount.

Cushion Concert - Trumpet

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the BBC Concert Orchestra

Christ Church is thrilled to welcome Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the BBC Concert Orchestra for a magical evening of classical music. The programme will be as follows:
Mozart - Idomeneo Ballet Music (Extract)
Handel - 3 Cleopatra Arias
Mozart - Overture Le Nozze di Figaro
Mozart - Aria Contessa 'Porgi amor'
R. Strauss - Walzerfolge Act 3 Rosenkavalier
R. Strauss - 3 Lieder - Morgen - Stänschen – Cäcilie
De Falla - El Amor Brujo (Extract)
Canteloube - 3 songs of Auverne
Puccini - Intermezzo Manon Lescaut
Puccini - Mi chiamano Mimi
Cilea - Son umile ancella
In addition to the selection of concert tickets available, Christ Church is also offering a number of hospitality packages to purchase from January 2012. If you would like to enhance your evening by dining in Hall before the concert, attend a champagne drinks reception in the elegant Upper Library or receive butler service in your own private marquee box then please visit their website at www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/jubilee-concerts-2012/hospitality-packages for full details and to make a booking.

Note: ALL TICKETS WILL BE POSTED FOR THIS EVENT
For further information about the Jubilee Concerts, including terms and conditions and frequently asked questions, please visit the Christ Church website www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/jubilee-concerts-2012

1961 Re-enactment Concert - Oxford Philomusica

On a warm and still June evening in 1961, an audience of over 5000 gathered excitedly in Christ Church’s Tom Quad for an extraordinary open-air concert. The musical programme had been specifically chosen for the setting and included Tchaikovsky’s famous 1812 overture.
To commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle or Borodino, the inspiration for the piece, Church will once again be transforming its great quadrangle into an open-air theatre and hosting a memorable midsummer musical extravaganza.
Oxford Philomusica, conducted by Marios Papadopoulous, will be re-enacting a similar concert to the one first put on by Christ Church’s students just over fifty years ago with a performance of the following programme:
Dvorak – Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 ‘From the New World’
Walton – Crown Imperial (Coronation March)
Verdi – Grand March from Aida
Tchaikovsky – Overture ‘1812’
In addition to the selection of concert tickets available Christ Church is also offering a number of hospitality packages to purchase from January 2012. If you would like to enhance your evening by dining in Hall before the concert, attend a champagne drinks reception in the elegant Upper Library or receive butler service in your own private marquee box then please visit their website at www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/jubilee-concerts-2012/hospitality-packages
For further information about the Jubilee Concerts, including terms and conditions and frequently asked questions: www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/jubilee-concerts-2012 Note: All tickets for this event will be posted out

Gala Concert - The Oxfordshire County Music Service

A Gala Concert of British Music, featuring young people from all over the county performing choral and instrumental music from the British Isles with a rousing finale of ‘Land of Hope and Glory.’
‘Oxfordshire Youth Brass Ensemble’
‘Oxfordshire Youth Big Band’
The Christ Church Cathedral choristers with Children’s choirs from 6 Oxon Primary schools. The Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra conducted by Dr John Traill.

Christ Church is pleased to offer the opportunity to attend an afternoon tea in Hall prior to the concert. Tickets for this can be purchased from January 2012 from their website at www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/jubilee-concerts-2012/hospitality-packages

For further information about the Jubilee Concerts, including terms and conditions and frequently asked questions, please visit the Christ Church website www.chch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/jubilee-concerts-2012

Note: All Tickets for this event will be posted out.

Oxford Philomusica Chamber Series June

Debussy
Sonata for flute, viola and harp

Roussel
Sérénade for flute, string trio and harp, Op. 30

Ravel
String Quartet in F major

Soloists of Oxford Philomusica

Oxford Philomusica’s first dedicated series of chamber music concerts will take the form of early evening hour-long concerts at Oxford’s Maison Française, featuring the distinguished principal players of the Orchestra: the Soloists of Oxford Philomusica.

Tickets £18 to include a glass of wine

To join Oxford Philomusica’s mailing or e-list please click HERE

Haydn: Creation

The Creation weaves together musical drama and colour with inventive melodies. Its music vividly depicts scenes such as the chaos before creation and the first breaking of light whilst the well-known chorus The Heavens are telling is one of the greatest paeans of praise ever written to the glory of God. It is one of Haydn's greatest choral works and thrills audiences today just as much as it did at its first performance in Vienna in 1798.

Also featuring The Orchestra of Stowe Opera, and conductor Robert Secret.

Cushion Concert - Koto

Concerts at Garsington

Sunday 1 July
Debussy Piano Trio in G major
Fauré Piano Trio in D minor
Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B major
Katya Apekisheva (piano)
Kristine Blaumane (cello)
Boris Brovtsyn (violin)

Sunday 8 July
Mozart Adagio and Fugue in C minor for two pianos K.426
Rachmaninov Suite No.2 for two pianos
Ravel La Valse for two pianos
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring (trans. Stravinsky for two pianos)
Katya Apekisheva (piano)
Charles Owen (piano)

Saturday 14 July
Hugo Wolf Songs
Robert Schumann Dichterliebe
Mark Padmore (tenor)
Simon Lepper (piano)

The concerts start at 7pm in The Great Barn, Garsington Manor, Oxon, OX44 9DH.
Picnics can be brought to the gardens which open at 5pm. There will be a wine bar serving light refreshments from 5pm and during the 30 minute interval.

La Serenissima

ALBINONI
Trumpet Sonata in C major
MARCELLO
Oboe Concerto in D minor
ALBINONI
Adagio in G minor

The Soloists of Oxford Philomusica

A celebration of Venice in which Vivaldi’s four most famous violin concertos are preceded by rarely
heard but colourful display pieces for trumpet, oboe and bassoon.

Concerts at Garsington

Sunday 1 July
Debussy Piano Trio in G major
Fauré Piano Trio in D minor
Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B major
Katya Apekisheva (piano)
Kristine Blaumane (cello)
Boris Brovtsyn (violin)

Saturday 14 July
Hugo Wolf Songs
Robert Schumann Dichterliebe
Mark Padmore (tenor)
Simon Lepper (piano)

Virtuoso Bach

BACH
Flute Suite No. 2 in B minor
TELEMANN
Concerto for four Violins in D major
BACH
Harpshichord Concerto No. 2 in E major
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor
PACHELBEL
Canon in D major
BACH
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major

The Soloists of Oxford Philomusica
Mahan Esfahani harpsichord/director

The Oxford Philomusica Soloists are joined by guest director and harpsichord virtuoso, Mahan Esfahani – who starred in a sold-out recital at last year’s Proms - for a dazzling programme which seems designed to confirm Bach’s famous observation that ‘everything must be possible’.

Concerts at Garsington

Sunday 1 July
Debussy Piano Trio in G major
Fauré Piano Trio in D minor
Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B major
Katya Apekisheva (piano)
Kristine Blaumane (cello)
Boris Brovtsyn (violin)

Saturday 14 July
Hugo Wolf Songs
Robert Schumann Dichterliebe
Mark Padmore (tenor)
Simon Lepper (piano)

Magnificat

TELEMANN
Concerto for Trumpets, Oboes and Strings in D major

BACH
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major

TELEMANN
Concerto for Flute, Oboe d’amore, Viola d’amore and Strings in E major

BACH
Magnificat in D major

Choir of New College, Oxford
Edward Higginbottom conductor

Bach’s brilliantly concise Magnificat is complemented by contrasting concertos. His own Third Brandenburg for strings is framed by two fine examples of Telemann’s inexhaustible inventiveness – the splendidly ceremonial trumpet dominated Concerto in D and a Concerto in E for the delightfully intimate trio of flute, oboe d’amore and viola d’amore.

Last Night of the Baroque Proms

HANDEL
Suite from the Water Music
Arias
BOTTESINI
Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass
HANDEL
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
PURCELL
The Fairy Queen Suite
ARNE
Rule Britannia

Julia Kogan soprano
Carmine Lauri violin
Thomas Martin double bass
Marios Papadopoulos director

A shamelessly chauvinistic programme of (nearly) all-English music spiced with an improbable Italian novelty and culminating in a rousing finale demanding full-throated audience participation!

Sergei Babayan and Oxford Philomusica

RACHMANINOV
Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor, Op. 18

TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, ‘Pathetique’

Sergei Babayan piano
Marios Papadopoulos conductor

Seminal works from the two leading Russian romantics come together in this evening of emotional highs and lows. Rachmaninov’s most popular piano concerto progresses to affirmative triumph whereas Tchaikovsky’s final symphonic struggle ends equivocally – at best an unanswered question.

Menahem Pressler and Oxford Philomusica

MENDELSSOHN
Overture Op. 21 from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K. 595
MENDELSSOHN
Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, ‘Italian’

Menahem Pressler piano
Marios Papadopoulos conductor

Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture – understandably dubbed by George Grove ‘the greatest marvel of early maturity that the world has ever seen in music’ – is mirrored by his recollection of youthful touring experiences in the bright Mediterranean colours of the Midsummer. The centrepiece of this evening’s tribute to prodigies is Mozart’s emotionally finely nuanced last Piano Concerto with legendary soloist Menahem Pressler, founder and pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio.