This year the National Centre for Writing has put together a series of literary journeys that will guide you through our exciting City of Literature weekend at Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2019.
With a programme of fresh and original literary voices, along with award-winning writers and publishers, we invite you to celebrate Norwich as a UNESCO City of Literature and a home to writers, thinkers, storytellers and readers. Browse the curated journeys we’ve suggested and book four or more events together to get a £1.50 discount per ticket.
Our third journey, ‘The Fascinating and the Fantastic’, features some of the most exciting non-fiction books to be published this year. From the adventures of the Odyssey to the money, medicine and mysteries of blood, you’ll be amazed at the true stories that these writers have been able to uncover.
Epic Continent
– with Nicholas Jubber
10am, Saturday 25 May, The Adnams Spiegeltent, Chapelfield Gardens, £8
Our greatest works of literature are often inspired by moments of seismic change. Journeying from Turkey to Iceland, award-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber takes us on a fascinating adventure through our continent’s most enduring epic poems – from the Odyssey to Beowulf – to learn how they were shaped by their times, and how they have since shaped us.
The Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood
– with Rose George
10am, Sunday 26 May, The Adnams Spiegeltent, £8
Why is blood such a taboo subject? In Nine Pints, Guardian journalist and acclaimed writer Rose George begins by donating to the NHS Blood and Transport Service. From there, she spans science and politics, storytelling and global epidemics to tell an astonishing account of this life-giving substance.
The Spectacle of Illusion
– with Matthew Tompkins
11.30am, Sunday 26 May, The Adnams Spiegeltent, Chapelfield Gardens, £8
In The Spectacle of Illusion, professional magician-turned-psychologist Matthew Tompkins traces the evolution of the arts of magic and illusion. Featuring witches, magicians, illusionists, hypnotists, mediums and faith heals, Tompkins provides a taste of their tricks and how illusions have been used to sway belief and fool people. Part of the Wellcome Collection’s ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ exhibition.
Unnatural Causes
– with Dr Richard Shepherd
1pm, Sunday 26 May, The Adnams Spiegeltent, Chapelfield Gardens, £8
Dr Richard Shepherd is the UK’s foremost forensic pathologist, working on some of the most high-profile cases of the past 30 years such as Harold Shipman and Stephen Lawrence. Unnatural Causes is the true crime book of the year; a thoughtful, revealing, chilling and bizarre record of an extraordinary life and profession.
Explore the rest of the City of Literature programme >>
Tickets are available from the Norfolk & Norwich Festival website. A discount of £1.50 per ticket will be automatically applied to your basket when you book four or more events together.
