Welcome to our Wednesday matinee which are held fortnightly. These film showings are free due to a very kind donation to FoCCaL. You are welcome to donate if you wish.

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT We are delighted to have as the LitFest’s keynote speaker Chris Packham CBE, one of Britain’s foremost authors, television presenters and wildlife and environmental campaigners. THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT

Built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of John Cabot’s medieval voyage, the modern Matthew is an iconic symbol of Bristol’s trading and seafaring heritage.

In her debut novel, Georgina Moore follows the story of the Garnett family as the breakdown of mother Margo’s marriage to alcoholic Richard impacts the lives of their daughters, Rachel, Imogen and Sasha, years after the split.

In their 2024 anthology, Gathering, editors Durre Shahwar and Nasia Sarwar-Skuse have curated an outstanding, ground-breaking collection of creative and personal essays by women of colour from across the UK. The women write about their relationships with nature, and explore themes such as climate justice, inherited histories, colonialism, mental health, music, rambling and more.

After a fascinating, insightful talk last year about his Hawthornden Prize-winning debut novel, 'An Olive Grove in Ends', we couldn’t resist bringing Moses McKenzie back to LitFest

Jessica Andrews will be in conversation about her new novel 'Milk Teeth'. Her visceral, sensory novels explore the effects of social class and gender on the body and consider the limitations of social mobility.

After a terrific debut at last year's festival, composer and pianist Sandie Middleton along with flautist, Katie Axelsen, return this year with a programme of music and film to celebrate the centenary of Bristol Archives.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution began with a meeting in a London Tavern in March 1824. Since then, its volunteer crews have saved over 146,000 lives around the coasts of Britain and Ireland. Dr Helen Doe was commissioned to write the history of this vital service and in this talk she takes a look at some known and unknown characters and incidents in its rich history. This event is in two parts. Helen Doe's talk followed by the film showing.

PLEASE NOTE : Our Book Club normally meets on the last Tuesday of every month throughout the year. This month, November, the book club has been moved to December 3rd at the same time 10.30am

A 30 minute dance class on Mondays at 12.15 for women of all ages who want to keep their body in tune. This event is free.

Don will be back in December - first session will be December 3rd followed by 10th and 17th