Book to the Future, the University of Birmingham’s festival of the written and spoken word, is back for its second year.
The festival takes place across the Edgbaston campus from October 14–18 and celebrates the creative talent of the University’s students, staff and alumni. This year’s’ theme is ‘Time’, commemorating the centenary of the First World War and the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth.
Everyone from alumni authors to poets and journalists will descend on the University to take part in a specially designed series of lectures, workshops and performances celebrating the written word.
Festival highlights include:
Procrastinators
Jo Usmar, an alumna of the University, journalist, and co-author of the This Book Will series will teach you how to maximise your time. Jo said: ‘My talk will be based on time-saving strategies from my books, This Book Will Make You Calm/Happy/Confident and the forthcoming This Book Will Make You Mindful. I spoke at Book to the Future 2013 on journalism and it was so brilliant meeting students, past and present, that I'm really excited to come back.’
Working 9-5?
Hear how you can see your writing in print while still working that day job as Danann Swanton, Communications Officer in the College of Social Sciences and alumna of the University, tells you how she became part-time and published.
Artists
Join Neil Gibson, UK comic book publisher and alumnus of the University, as he tells you how comics can help you in both your studies and your career. Neil said: ‘I didn’t read comics when I was at Birmingham, because I perceived them as childish and frankly, beneath me. I now realise I had been ignoring an entire world of literature.’
Commemorating the centenary of WW1
Mike Robinson, Professor of Cultural Heritage and Director of the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage, and Dr Josef Ploner, from the University of Hull, host the event: ‘Spoken for the First Time: Postcard Messages from the Trenches.’
- A full list of events is available online.
- For media enquiries please contact Faye Jackson in the University of Birmingham Press office +44 (0)121 414 6029. For out of hours enquiries please contact the duty press officer on +44 (0)7789921165.