In conversation : Sally Nicholls
Saturday
Sally Nicholls is the author of Ways To Live Forever, winner of the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2008.
Hero of Art Resistance : Billy Childish
Saturday
Artist, author, poet, songwriter, photographer, filmmaker... It's fair to say that Billy Childish is a multi-talented guy.
Werewolves, Time Travel and Jane Eyre : Jasper Fforde
Monday
Jasper Fforde is a best-selling novelist, author of The Fourth Bear, The Big Over Easy and the highly-successful Thursday Next series.
Birmingham: It's not sh*t : Jon Bounds
Friday
Telly Savalas from TV's Kojack described Birmingham as being "my kinda town" but somewhere along the way Birmingham got a reputation for being a bit, well, shit. Birmingham: It's Not Shit loves Birmingham, its people, arts, animals, buildings, parks, grass verges, factories and bus stops. Come to this talk and you'll probably end up loving it just as much.
Luke Kennard
Sunday
At 26, Luke Kennard was the youngest-ever nominee for the Forward Prize in 2007 for his second collection, The Harbour Beyond the Movie.
The Third Tribe : Rob Chidley
Saturday
Rob Chidley is a writer, moved by questions of identity, Truth and the dark, red earth.
Rooted in the living word : Suzanne Bray
Monday
Suzanne Bray is Professor of English Studies at Lille Catholic University in the north of France. She specialises in the areas of literature and theology, mainly in Britain, during the 20th century.
Simone Weil Celebration
Saturday
Simone Weil, born to a secular Jewish family in France 100 years ago, is one of the most provocative, original and enigmatic political and religious thinkers of the twentieth century. Yet she's still virtually unknown in Britain, and her books limp off the shelves.
Book Club
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
It's the return of the Greenbelt book club! A chance to discuss interesting books with other passionate souls...
Flossie Paper Doll
Saturday
Flossie Paper Doll is a sequence of short poems by prize-winning poet and novelist Linda Lee Welch with musical accompaniment produced and performed by Animat’s The Only Michael.
The (Bring Your Own) Library
The Great Greenbelt Book Exchange is returning! Bring your favourite book, drop it off at The Library, and pick up someone else's in return.
How to be human (with Hieronymus Bosch) : Justin Lewis-Anthony
Monday
What can a painting 500 years old tell us about life today? Find out, in the company of Thomas à Kempis, Terry Pratchett, Bob Dylan, Brian Eno and Hieronymus Bosch.
Sacred spaces and utopias : Andrew Tate
Friday
Is literature an escapist art form? And if so, where does it allow the reader to escape to? This talk explores the phenomenon of ‘sacred spaces’ envisioned in classic and contemporary literature in relation to the challenges of Christian faith. The talk will address the imaginary utopias, dystopias and undiscovered countries of, amongst others, C.S.Lewis, Henry David Thoreau, William Morris, H. G. Wells and J. G. Ballard.
A question of knowledge : Chris Wills
Monday
Come and challenge a Countdown Champion and find out more from a registered genius about the strange and wonderful world of TV quiz shows.
The Hub
The home of Greenbelt’s literature and visual arts strands, The Hub returns this year with a souped-up programme including big-name novelists and art that everyone can be part of.
Stuart Jesson
Monday
Stu Jesson is, in theory, coming to the end of a PhD in Philosophical Theology at Nottingham University, which focuses on ways of making sense of forgiveness.
The Hub Sandwich : Cole Moreton
Saturday, Monday
Are you getting your five portions of inspiring stuff a day? Take time out to top up with a healthy lunchtime snack at The Hub Sandwich, a feast of words, thoughts, sights, laughs and songs in The Hub every day.
Behind the sofa: when is it OK to scare the kids? : Mike Maddox, Martin Day, Jonathan Oliver, Jeff Anderson
Saturday
Doctor Who, sci fi, and is it ever OK to scare your children? Writers of official Doctor Who novels, audio plays, reference books and comic strips discuss tea-time terror and the joys of Saturday night family viewing. What does Doctor Who really tell us about Jesus? Is Robin Hood really dead? Will there ever be another series of Primeval? And most important of all, will anyone want a new Doctor after David Tenant leaves?
What’s the Story? Epic Narratives and the Long Now : Andrew Tate
Monday
Some of the greatest stories ever told also tend to be the most sprawling, convoluted and frustrating narratives to engage with. Join Andrew Tate as he takes a "long now" view of the cultural landscape of the Epic and explores contemporary quest narratives by Salman Rushdie, Philip Pullman and Jeanette Winterson. Caution this talk may contain monoliths, totems and psychological constructs.
Tickling In Public – Here We Go Again! : Paul Cookson, Stewart Henderson
Paul Cookson and Stewart Henderson return once more with a mix of their favourite poems, some new poems destined for favourite status and glam rock ukuleles.
Late Night Twist : Paul Cookson, Stewart Henderson
The usual mix of accordions, performance poetry, comedy, songs, bedtime stories (for grown-ups), audience participation and ukuleles.
