Friends of Clifton Centre and Library
Doug Allan; Whale Meet Again Doug Allan has filmed whales in Antarctica, off coral reefs, among the giant kelp in California and under the Arctic pack ice. Finding them depends on co-operation with scientists, skilled boat handlers on location, a special patience, and even a healthy dose of luck. Doug describes his most memorable moments […]
Jonathan Bradley and Yealand Kalfayan: The Cardinal, Cleopatra and the Pasha Jonathan Bradley and Yealand Kalfayan will talk about their forthcoming book The Cardinal, Cleopatra and the Pasha. The title refers to the exotic names of some butterflies that occur in France, where there are many more species than in Britain. Jonathan will tell their […]
Clifton LitFest: Nathan Filer This event is now SOLD OUT Nathan Filer, in conversation with Beri Hare, is an author and broadcaster. The Shock of the Fall, his novel about the life of a young man grieving the loss of his brother, was a Sunday Times bestseller and translated into thirty languages. It won the […]
Clare Reddaway Story Walk 2023 This event is now SOLD OUT Clare’s popular Clifton story-walk is back, with a brand new walk created for the 2023 festival. Described as ‘innovative’ and ‘an absolute joy’ by audiences, Clare’s walks regularly sell out. Clare leads walkers on a stroll through Clifton, combining unusual facts with short fictions […]
Charles Dowding Charles Dowding talks all about the no dig gardening method and how it is good for the soil, saves time, produces fewer weeds and healthy harvests. He draws upon 40 years of experience, growing in four market gardens with different soils. He also does many comparisons of growth between dig and no dig […]
POLLY TOYNBEE in conversation with Chris Mullin Polly Toynbee, political and social commentator for The Guardian, is the former BBC Social Affairs Editor. Twice named Commentator of the Year, she also won the George Orwell prize. Her previous books include studies on manual work, (Hard Work: Life in low Pay Britain), inequality (Unjust Rewards), the […]
David Parker; Remembering Johnny Kingdom No one filmed wildlife like Johnny Kingdom. With no media training, no academic knowledge and only a small hand held video camera Johnny was a ‘one off’. He broke all the rules of wildlife film making but he knew his beloved Exmoor like the back of his hand and produced […]
Jen Reid in conversation with Paula O'Rourke Jen Reid tells her story of the events leading up to the Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol that saw the statue of 17th century Slave Trader Edward Colston toppled and thrown into the nearby harbour and how she became a symbol of the protest. In the early […]
Lily Dunn This event is now SOLD OUT Memoir is having its moment: a true life story written with the page-turning power of the best fiction. In this two hour workshop, author and academic Lily Dunn will introduce creative nonfiction, an increasingly popular literary form that uses fictional technique to explore real life stories. The […]
Lennie Goodings - 50 years of Virago In conversation with Helen Taylor 2023 marks the 50th year of the iconic women’s publishing house, Virago. Lennie Goodings is Chair of Virago Press. Her authors include among others, Margaret Atwood, Maya Angelou, Sarah Waters, Natasha Walter, Linda Grant, Joan Bakewell, Sandi Toksvig and Marilynne Robinson. She is […]