Birmingham Literature Festival 4-14 October

With full details of the upcoming Birmingham Literature Festival:

Nature and Food Writing at Birmingham Literature Festival 4-14 October As the seasons change (and the heating and coats go back on!) we've turned our minds to nature. We can't think of anything more autumnal than a walk in crisp, golden woodland spotting urban birds, or a trip down the canals in Birmingham to see the season in full glory from an unexpected vantage point. You can do both at this year's festival - more details below. If you're inspired to write about nature yourself, join our workshop, or hear our panel on nature writing - both are in the beautiful setting of Martineau Gardens, which we're delighted to partner with. After all that fresh air, you'll be ready for a hearty meal; and who's better to provide it than cook and writer Nigel Slater? His recipes have seen us through many a cold autumn evening, and his posts on Instagram about the herbs, fruit and vegetables he grows for his kitchen make mouths water. He'll be chatting to chef Ravinder Bhogal on the last day of the festival. Here's to autumn! View full programme Highlights How to be an Urban Birder A tour with David Lindo Naturalist, writer, broadcaster and photographer David Lindo will guide us through urban haven, Cannon Hill Park. As part of the walk, David will offer tips and advice on how to attract birds to your garden, how to identify them, and what gear you need for the average urbanite to become an accomplished urban birder. Friday 5 October, 4-5.30pm Cannon Hill Park Tickets: £12 / £9.60 (concs) Buy Tickets Waterways with Jasper Winn and Nancy Campbell Join Canal & River Trust Writer in Residence Jasper Winn and Canal Laureate Nancy Campbell on-board the Ikon Gallery’s Slow Boat as they share their work inspired by canals and discuss their passion for Britain’s waterways. This event with be chaired by poet and former Canal Laureate Jo Bell. Thursday 11 October, 11am Meet at Brewmaster Bridge Tickets, £12 / £9.60 (concs) Buy Tickets Connecting with Nature Writing Workshop with Matt Merritt  This workshop will provide you with time and space to explore writing as a way to understand, appreciate and connect with wildlife and nature. Taking place in the beautiful surroundings of Martineau Gardens, this workshop is open to all types of writers – journalists, poets, nonfiction, fiction and short stories. Friday 5 October, 1-3pm Martineau Gardens Tickets: £20 / £16 (concs) Buy Tickets The New Nature Writing with David Lindo and Kate Bradbury  Nature writing is now one of the fastest growing genres, spanning poetry, fiction, non-fiction and journalism. Self-reflective, urban, challenging and thought-provoking, nature writing is providing an opportunity to not only reconnect with the natural world, but also ourselves. Join nature writers David Lindo and Kate Bradbury as they discuss their latest books and finding inspiration in urban settings. Friday 6 October, 6.30-7.30pm Martineau Gardens Tickets: £8 / £6.40 (concs) Buy Tickets Nigel Slater & Ravinder Bhogal Join cooks and writers Nigel Slater and Ravinder Bhogal as they discuss their love of food and their passion for writing. Nigel Slater is a cook who writes. The author of a collection of bestselling books and presenter of nine BBC television series, Nigel is one of Britain's most-loved food writers. Ravinder Bhogal is a British chef, food writer and stylist. Her restaurant JIKONI opened in 2016, and she's about to publish her first cookbook of the same name. Sunday 14 October, 3.30pm Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Tickets: £15 / £12 (concs) Buy Tickets View full programme Birmingham Literature Festival | a project of Writing West Midlands Writing West Midlands is an Arts Council England NPO. ‌ ‌ ‌

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