May 2008

Swindon Festival of Literature

5 – 18 May (Bed and Breakfast available at £25)

An opportunity to get in on the start, or come part way through for a day or two, or more, to join other Festival followers at the heart of this home-grown, nationally-known high spot on Wiltshire’s cultural calendar.

It begins at dawn with the amazing Dawn Chorus at 5.30am on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May. It includes novelists, poets, politicians, scientists, philosophers, performers, dangerous discussions, serious sessions, and lively literary larks. Authors, speakers, and performers are likely to include James Naughtie on Music, Lord Joel Joffe on Nelson Mandela, John Pilger, A C Grayling on Liberty and Reason, Tim Smit on the Eden Project, Bee Wilson on the Food Swindle, and Marcus du Sautoy on Finding Moonshine. Oh yes, and fantastic poets in the nationally-famous Slam! competition, and brilliant ones in Poems & Pints, an Eco Ideas Day Storytellers in the Roundhouse, and a Children & Families Day to end the Festival on 18th May.

If you want to know more, get the full 36-page colour programme, available from 20th March, phone 01793 771080, or e-mail litfest@lowershawfarm.co.uk. See the Festival website www.swindonfestivalofliterature.co.uk

Eco Ideas & Practices Day

Sunday 11 May 10am – 4pm • £10 (includes light lunch)

Part of the Swindon Festival of Literature, this day will include eco-talks and practices with Andy & Dave Hamilton, the Self-Sufficientish Twins and authors of the Self-Sufficientish Bible; eco-discussion around ideas of the way we live today; and poetry from the new Bloodaxe anthology Earthshattering.

Working Weekend – in the spirit of WWOOF

30 May – 1 June • No Charge

For more information, see Working Weekends section.